Conversations
by InvisibleNinjaPirate
Summary: Davenport and Goddard have a series of conversations and come to an understanding about their friendship and evolving relationship. Post "A Friend in Need." Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Conversations

Rating: PG-13 to be safe

Category: Gen, Het

Pairing: D/G

TJ Davenport sat alone in the galley, contemplating the events of the past few days. The past few months had been trying to say the least, first with being stranded on Kareesh 9, discovering she was fired (after being quoted Caesar and subsequently, but figuratively, stabbed in the back), then having to care for the children on her own, while trying to look after Commander Goddard as he was in the healing chamber, and most recently, quite literally, coming face to face with herself as the doppelganger was wreaking havoc on the ship. She had gained a nice new purple and blue shiner for her efforts (to which Harlan had given her an A+), in uncharacteristically throwing punches and having both landed punches on her twin, and equally receiving a nice right hook, and a sore right hand from the struggle. She mock laughed at herself, noting that the Miss Davenport who had boarded the Christa over a year before never would have willingly thrown herself into the fray as she had been doing more of lately, and she wasn't sure whether she should be proud that she was showing a little bit more bravery, or mortified that she was starting to become numb to it all. Or maybe she knew that she had nothing to lose since she had no job to return to and no one at home she needed to answer to. It was somewhat liberating in a way, but at the same time, terrifying. She wondered for a brief moment what were to happen if she were ever to come face-to-face with herself before being dragged on their voyage to the far reaches of space. Would she even recognize herself or know the person she'd been versus who she was becoming? Would she even care?

Her thoughts then shifted to the changes she had been noting in the Commander as well. Upon his arrival to the academy, TJ's job included keeping detailed reports on his progress while teaching to present to STARDOG command upon the conclusion of his time. Truthfully, had they still been home, the report would not have been stellar. His abilities in the classroom left something to be desired, as did his conduct. However, since being brought along on the ride in deep space, she saw a shift in him- for the better- that reflected more the man her father had told her about as a child. Suddenly the bitter, beaten down, shell of a man who often showed anger and defiance at the Academy was more confident, leading the children by example, helping them understand how to work as a team and make intelligent decisions, and showing kindness and compassion for those in his care. It made her wish she had all her files from back at Starcademy- which she wanted to delete and rewrite all together. Of course, now that she had no job, she doubted her opinion on the matter would even matter.

The principal once made a snide comment to her about what she had perceived were TJ's feelings for Commander Goddard, knowing how often they fought and insinuating that they had been in some sort of relationship. At the time, it was a total falsehood- outwardly the two infuriated each other more than anything and often were at opposite sides of whatever argument of the day they were engaged in. Now though, she wondered, now that they had settled into a sort of odd partnership that worked for them, what she would even label their relationship as. Certainly not enemies- that she firmly believed. But were they friends? Equals? Something else? It all confused her so.

The past few months, with him out hunting for the new power crystal, then almost immediately upon returning, ending up badly injured as they tried to escape the planet, leaving him in the healing chamber and TJ on her own to care for the students, had been the most challenging thus far. While the children had each other, Davenport found that she was lonely and missed his company, if for nothing more than another adult to talk to and get some form of support from. Talking to Thelma just wasn't the same. Only Rosie knew that she had visited the Commander daily in the Medlab to sit with him while the machine slowly mended his internal injuries, and only because the young Mercurian also checked his progress daily to mark it down and track when he would be able to emerge. Davenport politely asked her not to divulge to the others her daily vigil by his side, which she imagined was difficult for the young girl, given her track record for secret keeping, or lack thereof.

At that moment, as Davenport was contemplating her thoughts about the man, Commander Goddard entered the galley- alone- nodded at TJ and smiled, greeting her with a simple, "TJ," and went about getting a mug, likely to pour his own drink. She zoned out for a few minutes, watching him fix his drink and fiddle with the food wheel, finally pulling out a bright green tube, pouring the powder on the plate, and dropped some water on it, to rehydrate it. The meal that appeared was something TJ couldn't quite place and judging from the Commander's face, neither could he. He sniffed it, shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, then grabbed a fork and headed for the seat opposite her to start eating.

She didn't realize she was even staring at him until he took a break from his food, looking up with a concerned expression. "You okay Miss Davenport?" he queried.

His voice snapped her from her reverie. "What? Oh, um, yes, Commander, I'm fine," she answered softly, her soft British accent trying to sound reassuring even if her tone sounded somewhat distant. "Why do you ask?"

He caught on right away to the distance. "You've been very quiet the past few days. And you gave the students the day off today. You don't normally do that. It sort of freaked them out a bit. Harlan thought it was some sort of joke up until you didn't show up for class."

Sighing heavily, TJ closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's been a trying few months," she offered vaguely. "I needed a break." Opening her eyes, she looked at him, changing the subject slightly, and said, "A joke, huh? Serves him right for all the pranks he's pulled on me."

Goddard smirked. "He asked if they could have off from Command Post training too. I made them put in double time there."

Davenport laughed at that. "I'm sure that went over well."

Goddard shrugged and smiled, then turned back to his food. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments while he finished his meal, while Davenport went back to nursing her now cold tea. Making a face at the mug in her hands, she got up to dump out and rinse away the remainder of the drink. While washing that and a few other assorted dishes that had accumulated throughout the day, she heard the Commander's voice cut through the running water. "ARE you okay, Miss Davenport?" he asked.

"Commander, I assure you I am," she automatically replied back over the water. "Any particular reason you ask again?" Her response came out a bit curt, more so than she intended, but Goddard, if he noticed, didn't point it out.

"Radu and Rosie were worried today. They asked if I knew where you were. Even Bova noted that you didn't even come to the Command Post today, which is very much unlike you. You weren't at breakfast or lunch, and while I can't attest to dinner, I know that that tea you were just drinking wasn't finished because I watched you dump out the rest and you are not one to waste tea. Something is bothering you, but if you don't want to talk, I won't push it. Just… before whatever is eating at you gets worse, try talking to someone. You might feel better." The Commander got up to head to the door when TJ's voice stopped him.

"Commander, did you ever have a period of time where a lot of… things, I suppose… changed all at once, and before you could address one issue, twelve more appeared?"

Goddard paused and turned towards Davenport, whose back was still to him. "Are you saying that you are overwhelmed?"

"A little," TJ admitted.

"How much is a little?" Seth pressed.

Davenport turned to face him, her features twisting as she tried to find the words to explain. "A lot has happened the past two years. Good heavens, two years already." She turned off the water, dried her hands, and moved back to sit at the table. "Commander, I am a teacher, and up until recently when I was quite unceremoniously sacked, an administrator as well. I am not field trained, but here I am, on what is possibly the most intensive field training any cadet has ever been put through, and we have no choice but to ensure that our students, who we are responsible for, get home safely, while also ensuring that we make it back with them. We've survived being flung across the galaxy, multiple encounters with Spung, a pirate attack courtesy of Reaver, crash landing on a planet, me being sucked into the computer system, Catalina first being jailed, then nearly being killed, but now is stuck in some other dimension, we've been shot at, had engine issues, and worst of all, the past several months, I had to take care of said children by myself after you were nearly killed. And try to do so without doing my characteristic fainting, screaming, or hysterical outbursts because as the only adult, I wouldn't have been helping anything. There wasn't time to even sit down for a moment because everything- EVERYTHING had to fall on me." TJ took a deep breath, having temporarily lost steam, and tried to compose herself again. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, but Davenport willed herself not to allow them to fall. She sat wearily at the galley table, exhausted from letting everything out.

Goddard sat beside her and faced TJ. "Okay… that was a lot to unload. Why haven't you told me this before?" he asked gently.

"When should I have done that?" TJ asked softly. She bit softly on the inside of her lip before continuing, "I haven't exactly had opportunity to as of late."

Goddard hung his head and let out a breath. "No, you haven't," he admitted. Continuing, he added, "but I have been out the chamber for nearly a month…"

"And we were busy evading doppelgangers and computer viruses and insane space stations bent on killing us," Davenport cut in hotly. Taking another deep cleansing breath, she rubbed her temples, as the beginnings of a migraine started to pulse behind her eyes. "I'm sorry, Commander," she apologized softly. "There are so many other things to worry about. I didn't mean to burden you with my foolishness-"

"Not foolishness," Commander Goddard cut in. He sighed softly, mentally cursing himself for not seeing sooner how Miss Davenport had been feeling. As the commanding officer, it was his duty to not only get his crew home safely, but to be in tune to the needs of said people. In that, now knowing to some extent what was worrying her, he felt he had failed TJ by not catching on to the burden she was feeling sooner. Worse, that encumbrance had partially been caused by his actions. There was a sense of reliance on her that he had come to not only expect, but completely depend on and in many ways, he felt that he may have crossed a line and taken advantage of her. He had to make it right somehow. "TJ, I'm sorry," he stated simply.

Confused and slightly taken aback by his use of her first name, Miss Davenport responded, "Sorry for what? You've done nothing wrong-"

"But I have," he insisted. Gently putting his hands over hers, which had been resting on the table, he continued. "I should have been more sensitive to what you were feeling. As the ranking officer on this ship- as a STARDOG- I should have realized how my actions affected others. Especially you." Giving her hands a small, reassuring squeeze, he added, "Forgive me. Please."

Davenport noted the genuine, apologetic look in his clear, blue eyes, coupled with a soft smile directed towards her. The warm feeling of his hands on hers sent excited tingles down her spine, but she didn't outwardly show this to him. Instead, she smiled back, saying, "Forgiven." They both looked into each other's eyes for a moment, seeming to share a thousand thoughts with each other without needing to say anything aloud.

He moved away after a moment, feeling as though he had lingered a little too long, and cleared his throat, mumbling a thank you, and stood up. As he turned to walk away, TJ spoke up. "You have changed since we started our journey, Commander."

"How so?" he asked, looking back at her with a curious look on his face.

She met his gaze with a thoughtful one of her own. "You seem more… confident. Not that you lacked confidence really, just that while you were at the Academy, you always seemed so bitter that the attributes that made you a great leader didn't show. I, um… I like who you are now. Which, maybe, is who you've always been, but I never got to see until we were stranded together…" she broke off then, and blushed a furious shade of red, feeling as though she was revealing too much. "I'm rambling…."

Goddard smiled. "You've changed too," he offered in response. "You aren't the same woman I met at the academy. You're stronger, braver, and more capable than I ever imagined." He paused before adding softly, "And you held everything together while I was hurt. I don't know what would have happened without you."

Davenport blushed, flattered by his proclamation to her. She didn't figure he thought that highly of her, and she found that she liked hearing that from the Commander. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Truthfully I didn't know how strong I could be until being strong was the only option I had."

"It suits you," he told her, without a hesitation in his voice. With a smirk, he added, "Matches your fiery personality every time we argue about something."

Lightly smacking his arm, she chided, "Commander!" but laughed as she said it.

"Seth," he corrected.

"Pardon?"

"Seth. We're friends, TJ. And the students are not around. There's no reason that the two of us cannot refer to each other in familiar terms when it is just the two of us."

Davenport contemplated this for a moment. The Commander had a point, especially when the pair were the only adults on board, and as of late, had been genuinely getting on better. "Fair enough. Force of habit really." Quietly, she added, "You consider us friends?"

He nodded. "Don't you?"

"Of course. I just didn't think you felt that way. Perhaps more of an annoyance, really-"

"Don't ever say that. Even back at the academy, with all our fighting, I knew you were on my side in some way. You were the only person who at least tried to reach out while I was there and I pushed you away because I was too stubborn and angry about my situation. I never told you how much I appreciated it. I'm sorry." They both stood staring at each other for a moment, Goddard hoping for a response and Davenport trying to process what he was saying. "TJ?" he asked after the long pause, hoping that she wouldn't slap him or yell at him or any other manner of negatives that could come.

Her response was not one he expected. "I though STARDOGs were not supposed to express regrets," she stated softly. "It undermines crew confidence or some other rubbish like that." Her lips were curled into a smirk, revealing her feelings on that particular tidbit on command school training.

"That's what you got out of our conversation?" he asked incredulously. "I pour my heart out and-"

TJ cut him off by kissing him softly on his cheek. "Thank you, Seth," she told him when she pulled away. "It does mean a lot to me." She scanned his eyes to see his reaction to what, she admits, felt slightly out of character for her to do, but it just felt like the right reaction to her. His blue eyes registered shock and surprise at her seeming forwardness.

"Teej-"

"You have been the most genuine, most real friend I have had in a long time. I- the crew- is incredibly lucky it is you that has been here to guide us home. I don't know what I would do if I lost you," TJ confessed. "It was hard enough- lonely enough- when you were in that healing chamber for so long. That is something I never want to go through again." Davenport had tears pricking the corners of her eyes and she willed them to not fall, trying to hold on to some of the strength that she had worked so hard to display the past few months. Weakness was not something she wanted to display now.

Goddard almost came undone when he saw the truth of what she was saying to him. Wordlessly, he pulled her into a tight hug, hearing the sobs suddenly come forth from her, and gently rubbed her back as the tears finally came and left wet spots on the shoulder of his uniform. He didn't care. A long cry after several overwhelming months of high demands was exactly what TJ needed at that moment and he was determined to be there for her- finally- when she needed it. "It's okay," he whispered. He feathered light kisses into her hair as she cried, repeating, "It's okay, I'm here," over and over, and fighting his own urge to tear up as her body convulsed while she wept. Seeing TJ faint, scream, and generally yell at him he could handle- full body sobbing uncontrollably completely unnerved him.

After several long moments, the tears started subsiding and Davenport pulled away. Goddard noticed the sudden emptiness he felt at having her no longer close to him. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Smiling slightly, and rubbing the last of the tears from her now reddened eyes, she nodded. "Oddly, I feel better," she admitted. "But for all that talk of how strong I've been, I feel silly right now."

"Even the strongest people need to let everything out sometimes," Seth told her. "Can you promise me something?"

Davenport eyed him curiously, as he gently took her hand in his and continued. "Anytime you need to talk- about anything, not just about the students- I need you to come to me. I never want you feel like you aren't able to- not again, not ever." He fixed her with a firm gaze, trying to convey his sincerity, and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

She searched his eyes and nodded. "Of course. The same goes for you too, Seth." In that moment, her stomach decided to wake up and rather violently rumble its anger for being empty. "My," TJ acknowledged it, rubbing her midsection, and breaking the short spell that had fallen between her and the Commander. "I suppose I should eat something."

Laughing, Goddard led her to a seat at the peacock table and asked, "Anything special you feel like having?"

"Something edible," TJ deadpanned.

"Picky, picky," he chided lightly, which resulted in a smile from Davenport. A moment later, he came back with a rehydrated plate of what appeared to be some sort of Shepherd's pie variation with potatoes, and another mug of hot tea, "To replace the one you dumped."

As she ate, the pair started talking about anything and everything, making up for lost time and in the process losing track of it. Neither could remember the last time they had enjoyed someone's company as much.


	2. Chapter 2

It had not been the best day. Following what they thought would be some R & R on a hospitable planet, as they gathered materials for fuel and to replenish their food supply, they instead came face to face with the Spung, who, unbeknownst to them, had also chosen to land there as well. Worse, Warlord Shank, who they thought had been left abandoned on the outpost with Pezu over six months ago, had clearly been rescued and had ended up on the same planet. Seth Goddard cursed whatever bad fortune kept bringing them in contact with Shank and wondered, not for the first time, how the man seemed always to escape from whatever impossible circumstance was thrown at him. _Man must have nine lives, like a cat,_ he thought. What ensued upon their encounter with Shank and his two henchmen made his blood run cold. TJ Davenport, who had come to be more than just the other adult and the equivalent of his first officer on the long journey home, had ended up getting shot by the Spung warlord as they were making their retreat back to the Christa. Worse, it had happened as she shoved him out of the way from taking a shot in the chest, saving his life, but getting injured in the process. Radu had dragged her back onto the ship, bleeding profusely from her wound, while Bova timed a couple well placed electrical blasts to knock out the Spung long enough for everyone to get back on board the ship and make a hasty retreat. Rosie had rushed to the Medlab to treat Miss Davenport's injury, but had forced Goddard to remain away until she gave the all clear. It was killing him to not be in there with TJ, so when Rosie finally contacted the Command Post saying that he could see her, he moved faster than he knew he could to get there.

"Where is she?" Goddard asked worriedly as he entered the Medlab, taking long strides with a sense of purpose and worry lines creased along his forehead.

Rosie stood in the center of the room, wrapping bandages around TJ Davenport's injured shoulder, which had just been stitched up. "Right here, Commander," Rosie stated cheerily. "She'll be fixed up good as new in just a minute. It was just a small graze- it looks worse than it is. No broken bones and no ligament damage. I gave her a painkiller to dull the pain and a mild sedative to relax her while I was stitching her up. It might make her sleepy in a little bit, but other than that, she's good."

"Thank you, Rosie," TJ said gratefully, temporarily ignoring Commander Goddard, who was clearly jumpy and tense. She was sure there was going to be a heated argument regarding her actions on the planet coming her way. "You've done quite well with your medical studies."

Rosie chirped out a happy, "Thank you, Miss Davenport," and finished with dressing the wound.

Once she completed the work, and had let the Commander know as much, he nodded, then queried, "Miss Ianni, would you please leave Miss Davenport and I alone for a few minutes? I need to have a word with her." His jaw was tight and a vein was pulsing in his neck, containing his barely pent up rage.

Looking between both adults and sensing the sudden tension that had filled the room, Rosie politely excused herself with a "Yes, Commander," before quickly exiting.

Watching the door whoosh closed behind their young charge, Seth silently counted to ten, then turned to Davenport. Before he even thought about what he wanted to say, words just started coming out of his mouth. "What the hell were you thinking?" he exploded, face red, the anger palpable in his voice.

"I beg your pardon?" Davenport answered just as hotly. "What should I have done? Allowed Warlord Shank to simply shoot you? You're welcome by the way for me saving your life."

"You shouldn't be putting yourself in harm's way," he fought back. "My job on this ship is to protect my crew-"

"By getting yourself killed?" she shot back. TJ was determined to not back down on this one. "Seth, he had his blaster pointed directly at you. He would have shot you straight through the heart. I had the opportunity to get you out of the way, so I did. I'm sorry if that was an inconvenience to you."

Goddard sighed, putting his face in his hand and rubbing his head, fighting off a headache being brought on by arguing with TJ. Part of him was grateful that she had saved his life, and ultimately, the small shoulder graze she had received was minor compared to what could have happened to him. That was not the point though. In that moment, all he saw was his best friend, his confidante, and one of the few people in the galaxy with whom he could actually sit and talk to for hours put their life on the line to save him. The past six months had been good for them. After their long talk just weeks after he emerged from the healing chamber, they had reached a new understanding for each other and from that moment on, the pair had made it a habit to spend time together at least once a week on something non-student related- a meal alone, watching movies on the SpaceNet, board games, working out together, or whatever other idea they might have. Never before had he felt some completely comfortable with someone else and at times, he questioned if perhaps he felt more for her than just their friendship and even wondered if she might feel the same. He didn't want to ruin what they did have though, and as a result, he kept his thoughts about that matter to himself. Until now. She needed to know in some way how much her actions affected him.

Sitting beside her, he stared blankly at the wall. The anger drained away and instead, was replaced by what he was really feeling- anxious, nervous, and even a little scared of what could have happened. Speaking quietly, he said, "It wasn't an inconvenience, TJ. You scared me."

"I thought STARDOGS don't get scared," she stated lightly and folded her arms gently across her chest, so as not to aggravate her wound.

"You scared me," he repeated in a whisper. "I felt you shove me out of the way, I saw the shot get fired off, and I heard you cry out when it hit you. A few inches higher and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." Taking in a shaky breath, he continued, "It felt like it was all happening in slow motion, even though it was probably only a few seconds. I thought I was going to lose you, TJ. And that scared me more than anything ever has."

Davenport glanced over at him, noting for the first time the worry lines on his face and the shallow breaths he was taking as he fought tears forming in the corners of his crystal blue eyes. Her desire to yell at him for being too overprotective was instantly gone, and replaced with the need to comfort him. Reaching out with her left hand, she took hold of his right, intertwining their fingers, and squeezed gently. She saw Goddard glance down at their hands, smile ever so slightly, and squeeze her hand back. "I didn't intend to scare you, Seth," she whispered. "I just- _I_ couldn't lose _you._ Not again. For once in my life, I didn't think about something, I just reacted." With a wry smile she added, "I may have taken a page from your book."

"Wonderful," he said sarcastically. More seriously he added, "Warn me next time you plan to do something like that. Or just find another way, please."

TJ moved closer to Seth, still holding onto his hand, and rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his side in an effort to wordlessly assure him that all was okay. In turn, he squeezed her hand back, absently running his thumb in circles against her hand, while resting his own head on hers. If anyone walked in at that point, they surely would have had questions, but at that moment, in the silence, that pair just enjoyed the companionable silence, and felt grateful they still had each other to lean on.

The doors whooshed open then, with Rosie entering the Medlab once again. She loudly squeaked, "Oh!," causing them both to jump apart and flush a deep red. Both turned and saw Rosie, her normally deep pink color somehow flushing a deeper red in embarrassment, staring at the pair of them. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, the guilt at having interrupted them clear on her face. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I left my Compupad in here and I needed it for my biophysics notes…" she trailed off as she retrieved the device and made back for the door as fast as her legs could carry her. As quickly as she entered the room, she was gone, leaving both adults staring at the door. After a moment, Goddard started laughing lightly.

"What's so funny?" Davenport inquired.

"Rosie. Poor kid. She must have thought she walked in on something else entirely," he said between chuckles.

"Like what?" Davenport thought aloud, then at glancing at the Commander's face, his wide grin causing his blue eyes to sparkle mischievously, it dawned on her. "Oh." She flushed a deep shade of crimson at the realization of what he meant. Before she could comment further, she let out a wide yawn, clapping her hand over her mouth in embarrassment as she mumbled an apology to him. "That sedative must be setting in," she explained.

"Come on," Seth told her, his grin directly right at her as he got up and reached a hand out to help her up. "Let's get you out of here before the rest of them come down here with a thousand questions that I really don't feel like answering." He gently helped her to her feet, and, careful not to disturb her injured shoulder, lightly put his arm around her waist and guided TJ out of the Medlab and back to her quarters. Once they arrived, he settled her into bed comfortably, and bid her good night, with the promise he would check on her in the morning. He desperately wanted to stay with her for a while but the more noble side of him knew that she needed the rest. He paused at the door when he heard her voice groggily speaking to him, just as he turned out the lights for her.

"Seth, I'm glad… saved you," TJ said sleepily from where she was tucked into her bed. "You are… best thing… ever… happened… to me." A moment later, she was entirely asleep, leaving the room silent, save the breathing from both of them.

Goddard signed heavily. "Me too, Teej," he said softly, more to himself than the woman sleeping on the other side of the room. For a moment, he thought that perhaps she did feel the same way he did- maybe there was something more between the pair than either would admit- but he shook that off quickly. _She probably won't even remember this in the morning_ , he thought sadly.

Quietly he slipped out and made his way to the Command Post to take the evening watch, praying that the time would help clear his mind and relax before whatever the next day might bring.


	3. Chapter 3

A dance. That's what being around TJ had felt like lately to Goddard. A carefully choreographed, oddly timed dance but instead of executing steps in time to a certain rhythm, he was trying to manage the wave of emotions he felt each time he walked into a room with her. Electricity seemed to pulse excitedly around them whenever they so much as stood near each other, let alone actually touched one another. His heart pounded, blood rushed to his ears, and more than once he felt his palms get sweaty while just asking if she wanted to eat with him. All his adult life, Seth had focused solely on his career, indulging in few romantic relationships, and even then, none lasted long. For so long his parents hounded him about settling down, starting a family, and he did want those things eventually but up until now, he hadn't found anyone who could hold his interest, challenge him, and make him want to be a better man. TJ did that for him. _Yeah, and I realize this stranded in space, light years away from anywhere, and become too chicken shit to say anything. Way to go, Seth Goddard_. TJ was the person that meant everything to him, who had taken a laser blast for him, and who he could spend hours talking to and feel more comfortable than he did with his own family (save his sister Callie). Bring up discussing his emotions though and he suddenly became mute.

It wasn't that he didn't want to confess to her what he felt. Quite the contrary. Every time he came close, they were interrupted by something or in a few cases, he simply became too scared to follow through. What if she didn't feel the same? Then he'd feel foolish, making their already long trip home seem longer.

His intense, soul consuming love for her fed all his unoccupied thoughts each day lately. Even when he was able to focus his energy on assisting the students or guiding them through seemingly impossible odds, TJ would often be whom he selfishly worried over first _. Remember your training, Goddard_ , he constantly had to remind himself. _The team comes first. Don't let personal feelings get in the way of what is best for all._

Goddard wondered when he had started feeling this way. At the academy they had a contentious, roller coaster relationship but somewhere deep down he had developed a deep respect for Davenport and how hard she worked. It didn't hurt that her father had been his teacher and mentor so they had something in common to talk about. One thing he had learned early on was her frustration with peoples' assumptions that she didn't deserve her job and only had it because of her dad. It was what drove TJ to work herself so hard- she hoped to prove she had earned her place at the Starcademy fairly. That confession had shifted his perception of her being cold and icy and showed him she had emotions and cared deeply for what she did. Occasionally, she even tried to help him lesson plan and there was that one time she covered for him while he was hungover after a brutal night out with his sister post a difficult breakup. Madame Principal never found out about that night- at least as far as he knew- and he was sure that buttoned up, by the book Davenport, might have had a hand in keeping it quiet from the higher ups. At the time he thought that she had been doing something decent for him, when no one else would. Now… he didn't know what to think.

The only person who had ever indicated any inkling of suspicion of how he felt was his sister, Callie, who had an uncanny knack for reading him like a book. Of all the Goddard siblings, she had always been the most intuitive and incidentally, was also who he felt closest to in the family. On the sole visit she had made to the academy while he was teaching there, helping to set up his classroom between his first and second year, she had met TJ briefly and immediately saw some tension between her brother and the Assistant Principal. In typical Goddard family fashion, she called him out on it the moment TJ had left the room. "So, how long have you been seeing each other?" Callie had asked directly.

"Excuse- wh-what?" He stuttered in response.

"You and Davenport, how long have you two been together? You could cut the sexual tension between the two of you with a knife. And don't pretend to not know what I'm talking about. I just watched you both practically have eye sex with each other with me standing here watching," Callie told him matter-of-factly. "Good for you by the way. I like her. She's pretty, clearly intelligent enough to go toe to toe with you, and not afraid to tell you exactly as something is rather than what she thinks you want to hear. Isn't that why you and Muffy-"

"Allison," he interrupted, starting to feel annoyed.

"Fine, why you and Allison broke up? She bored you. Miss Davenport is clearly _not_ boring you."

Seth had been annoyed to the point of strangling Callie then (and that had been the first and last time she visited him at the academy- he made it a point to visit at her home after that), but he now mused if Callie had seen then what he refused to. Maybe if he had acted on his budding feelings then instead of waiting they wouldn't be in the mess they were now. Did he even know he had feelings for her then? Or it could be the opposite, and we might not even have the closeness we do now. What would have happened if the Christa had never showed up? Would he have just finished his three weeks of the punishment and left? Would TJ be just a bitter memory of his teaching career or would he have eventually gone back for her? It all just confused him. What he was realizing though was one very hard and fast truth- he was falling in love with her and it was more frightening and exhilarating than he ever thought possible. Others had told him that one day he would understand what it meant to be completely swept away by how much one could be in love with another- he had scoffed then and mocked friends who had long ago married and settled down. Now, that he had finally found a person he felt he could share his life with… well, suffice to say, he now got it.

The thoughts circulated and swirled in his head as he walked through the halls of the Christa, not so much paying attention to where he was going and instead operating on auto pilot as he made his way to the Command Post for training with the students. It wasn't the first time of late he had struggled with his thoughts and would not be the last. Not until he figured out some resolution to the- how did Callie put it?- sexual tension between them.

"Gentlemen," Goddard greeted Harlan and Radu as he entered the Command Post. "Report."

"All quiet, Commander," Harlan boasted confidently.

"Good. Very good," Goddard said. "Okay then. I have a few tasks for us to accomplish here today to help us gain some efficiencies with the engines. Thelma?" he called, looking over his left shoulder.

"Yes, Commander," she said, appearing over his right shoulder.

Goddard grabbed ahold of his chest, surprised once again by her ability to appear from nowhere. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'd like to work on some relay connections between the helm and the engines to see if we can create a smoother transition between the hyperdrive and thrusters. Any systems that need to come offline while we do this so I can warn the rest of the crew?"

Goddard worked with Harlan and Radu in the Command Post and Suzee and Bova down in engineering for a good part of the day until he was satisfied with the job. He dismissed them near dinnertime so they could wash up and meet in the galley for the evening meal. TJ usually liked for them to have a family meal in the evenings (actually all meals really), but as time went on, she realized that sometimes it wasn't always possible. Tonight though, followed a quiet day where they could have a night together. It amazed him sometimes how both he and TJ somehow ended up taking five misfit, flunking students and made them not only a team but a family. They all fought sometimes but in the end when the chips were down, he knew he was able to rely on any one of his students. Goddard was proud of who they had become together, even if he didn't voice it aloud. He was their Commander, but in some ways, as Rosie had shyly pointed out several months ago, had evolved into a father figure to all of them, especially Harlan and Radu (the former who had lost his biological father in the war and to whom is saw a lot of himself in; the latter to whom had never had a father before). It felt weird to think of himself that way, especially when he had never been particularly close with his own father, but one glance at TJ and he could see himself as part of a happy family. He smiled then, catching TJ's eyes as he entered the galley for dinner.

"Commander," she greeted him, her voice inflecting the normal formality she held around the students. A fast glance around the room showed they were all already present and scurrying about getting their meals from the food wheel or, in Bova's case, inhaling a mountain of food. Seth knew the formality would drop later when they were alone- it always did. For now-

"Miss Davenport," he greeted her back warmly. "Sorry if I'm late."

"Quite all right," she told him softly as she handed him a plate. A gentle smile crossed her features which was directed to him. There it was- the softness TJ usually reserved for when she was most relaxed. His heart fluttered.

"All right?" Harlan questioned. "If it were one of us late, you'd have chewed us out and handed out demerits!"

"You are also not in command of this ship and need to see that everything is functioning properly before coming to a meal," Davenport reminded him primly, her smile instantly gone and her British accent coming off clipped and with a sense of finality.

Harlan only grumbled and shuffled back to his place at the galley table. Seth got his own food- something resembling a salad, mashed potatoes, and what smelled like roast beef, and took his place beside TJ at the table while listening to Suzee ramble off about the engine modifications they had done that day. Bova chimed in a few times with dire predictions for how their work could go wrong and Rosie, being Rosie tried to help Bova see how all their efforts- good and bad- would ultimately help them all. Radu sat quietly, taking everything in. In short, nothing out of the ordinary for their typical meals. The banter continued on for a few moments while they all ate until Bova chimed in with news of his own.

"So, this is probably nothing important and likely way too dangerous," he started. "But I discovered a trading outpost just a few light years from here while I was checking the Spacenet earlier. According to what I've been reading, they seem to have a lot of the supplies we need to help power the ship."

"Could be promising," Seth told him. "Who is in charge of the outpost?"

"A race called the Elydians. They are known for their stores of deutronium but there are parts of the outpost whose merchants work with protomix cores and power crystals," Bova supplied. "It seems to attract a lot of... different... people."

"All things we could certainly use," Goddard admitted. "Thelma?"

"Yes, Commander," said Thelma, appearing behind him.

He pulled in a sharp breath and bit back a curse, silently asking himself how she hadn't yet managed to give him a heart attack. "How long would it take to reach the Elydian outpost?"

Thelma spent a moment calculating her response before answering. "On our present course, we could be there within 8.2 Earth standard hours."

Goddard felt the eyes of the entire team on him while he contemplated this.

"What sort of people?" Davenport asked nervously. A fair question. The team looked back at Bova. He shrugged.

"Thelma?"

"The Elydians are a merchant people who have dealings with a variety of races. They have extensive stores of power supplies available both by regular and unconventional means."

"Unconventional?" Rosie asked.

"Black market, I'd bet," Goddard supplied grimly.

"Crooks, thieves, pirates, we're dead," Bova predicted dryly.

"Absolutely not," Davenport said immediately. "Shady black market outposts are no place for the students."

"Commander, if we can get our hands on some of those supplies, it would help us keep the Christa in space for a longer period of time and maybe even get us home faster," Suzee argued.

"Plus we've been on the ship for a long time. A little R & R would help," Harlan added.

Everyone stared again at Goddard. This was not an easy decision. On one hand, the opportunity to secure needed supplies was a huge benefit. However, knowing there was an unsavory element present held a risk that needed to be considered, especially when his crew consisted of children. "Mr. Bova, I need you to send me what you have found thus far. I am not making any decision until I know more. Suzee, go draw up a list of whatever relays, power couplings, or anything else you think we could use if I choose to have us stop there. Rosie, same goes for medical supplies. I want those in my hands by lights out." Everyone scrambled to finish their meals and clean up so they could complete their tasks. Harlan offered to help Suzee jot down some of the items he would need for the helm as well and Radu joined them, discussing what sort of navigational items could be useful.

By 0300 hours, Seth's head was pounding. After receiving what was deemed needed by the students (which seemed to be everything), he set onto the SpaceNet, using what Bova supplied and anything new he could learn from local reports. The Elydians seemed to run a fairly popular outpost whose supplies centered on power needs but also had a decent selection of medical supplies and foods. Security was present and tight, however, the element of black market trade was there in a small percentage of the post, especially attracting pirates and smugglers. It was usually isolated in a certain section and security would remove anyone caught dealing in illegal items, but it was sometimes hard to find proof necessary to do so. The client list was what he was still pouring over when he heard the chime to his quarters. Only one person would even consider coming to his quarters at all, let alone at 0300 and he smiled to himself before calling, "Come in, Teej." He was sure he looked like hell but he didn't care. Having her perspective, however opposed it would likely be, could be helpful.

She entered the room, gliding towards him with two mugs in her hand, one of which was filled with coffee that she placed in front of him. "I couldn't sleep," she told him.

"So you made me coffee?" he asked cheekily.

TJ blushed. "I made me tea. Then I realized that you were likely up going through the information the students supplied and figured you could use something as well. You're welcome." She pulled over an extra chair to his desk, which was covered in various compupads and plastic report sheets that he had obviously been going over, sat down and carefully sipped her tea.

"Thank you, TJ," he said gratefully and he meant it. "You are an angel." He sipped the coffee, noting it was just the way he liked it, and turned back to his work. "And you know me too well."

TJ reddened further and changed the subject. "May I ask what you have learned about the outpost so far?" she asked.

Goddard handed her a compupad he had been taking notes on while he turned back to the client list. None of the names were familiar to him, but then again, this was a part of space he hadn't necessarily been through previously either. Something still unsettled him though- he couldn't place it, but he was missing something.

TJ read through his notes carefully commenting, "Thorough," as she did so. "As usual."

"On paper, making a stop for supplies should be a no brainer," he said. "The Elydians have everything we would need to keep the Christa space worthy without having to stop for at least six or eight months."

"But?" Davenport prompted, knowing there was more.

Goddard sighed. "Did you ever get the feeling you were missing something? No matter how much preparation you do, no matter what you are able to account for, that there is something… else… that isn't there. I'm missing something."

"You're worried," TJ noted.

"My gut is telling me something isn't right," he clarified. "I wish my sister Callie was here. Her instincts are almost never wrong. She'd know what to do." The Commander put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes before turning back to Davenport. "What do you think?"

"You want my opinion?"

"Always," he grinned at her.

"First, stop worrying. That's my job," she teased lightly. "And second, based on what you put together, this would be a good place to get what we need and get out. No R&R, just supply procurement and leave. I don't like what there is for the unwelcome elements but we really do need those parts for the engine, especially if it means we can get home faster, and Rosie could always use supplies for the Medlab, especially at the rate we all get hurt. How long do you believe we would need?"

Goddard contemplated this for a moment. He pulled out a plastic sheet, containing a schematic he had found online and studied it for a few moments, trying to plan in his head how to efficiently get through the post quickly. "We would need to divide into two teams. One for engineering components and one for medical supplies. If we did that, we could get through there in six hours or so."

"You take Harlan, Radu, and Suzee and I'll take Bova and Rosie," she said, noting how they usually split the students when they went off ship.

"You sure you don't want Harlan?" Seth teased back.

"He listens to you," TJ answered dryly. They both sat in companionable silence for a moment before she spoke again, this time in a whisper. "We will be okay, Seth. Right?"

"Um, yeah," he said instantly, but she could hear the uncertainty underlying his confident response.

TJ smiled, then stood up, replaced her chair to where she'd found it and politely excused herself. "We have a long day tomorrow," she said. "Both of us should try to get some rest before then." She leaned in then and kissed him softly on the cheek, lingering for a moment before pulling away. Seth's eyes had drifted closed, his heart pounding at the contact, and wanting now, more than ever before to kiss her senseless, protocol, rules, and practicality be damned. Once she did pull away though, the loss of contact left him wanting more, so, when she headed towards the door with a whispered, "Good night, Seth," he reacted quickly, moving to the door and meeting her in the entryway, taking hold of her hand to keep from leaving. The look on her face held a question that was silenced when he brought his other hand up to her face to stroke her cheek with his thumb and stepped closer to her. They both gazed at one another for a moment as they drew nearer, hearts pounding, lips close to finally meeting-

"Commander, we are in range of the outpost," Thelma cut in abruptly, yet again appearing out of nowhere.

Goddard cried out in frustration. "How do you do that?" he yelled incredulously. Taking a deep breath and reluctantly letting go of TJ, he mentally cursed whatever gods were conspiring against him and turned to Thelma, trying to put on his best "Commander" voice, and behave as the soldier he was supposed to be. "Thank you, Thelma. Try to establish communications for docking procedures and entry to the outpost. Also, have the students ready to leave by 0800."

If Thelma had been put off by Goddard's frustrated tone, she didn't show it. With a cheerful, "right away, Commander," she went on her way and left the human adults alone again.

"I should go," TJ said awkwardly.

"Wha- oh," Seth said sadly. "Yeah. We have a busy day tomorrow. Thank you, by the way. For the coffee, the advice- everything."

With a sad smile and what he could swear was a bit of disappointment on her face, Goddard watched her round the corner away from him. Reentering his quarters, he put aside his work, touched his face where she had kissed him. _Yep, I'm in love_ , he admitted to himself. After a few moments of contemplating what this meant to him, he redoubled his effort on the work, sipped more of his coffee, and made a plan for the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

TJ Davenport was a practical, responsible, tightly wound person. Pretty much anyone at the academy would have said that about her. She followed the book to the letter, expected perfection first from herself and then from all around her, and sometimes came off icy instead of approachable. It was one of her biggest flaws, her inability to let people in. Lately though, exactly the person she had been started changing. Being out in space forced her to see how the book doesn't always have the answers, causing her to stretch what she can do physically and mentally. She was emotionally stronger than when they began their journey, but also becoming bolder, and softening around the edges. Facing pirate attacks, crashing on planets, losing her job- all that had molded her into a stronger, more rounded person. She was proud of herself for that.

Most striking to her was how her relationship with each member of the crew was changing. While she sometimes still clashed with Harlan and Suzee (who legally, if they were at home would be considered adults and that surely added to some of the tension), she had taken on a motherly role towards the others, a fact that the Commander had pointed out to her more than once. On while she was on that subject-

Her relationship with him had changed so much it had almost frightened her. As a teenager, TJ had worshipped Goddard. The strong, noble, brave starship captain, whose ambition and intelligence drove him up through the ranks and earned an almost idolic admiration from her. She had found and read every paper he had written that she was able to access (and some she probably shouldn't have had access to, but her computer skills had helped her hack into). She even thought she loved him at one point when she was a teenager. Initially meeting him at the academy years later squashed what she had felt, causing them to be at odds often, although eventually they had come to a grudging respect of each other, especially after a few incidents that had put them on the same side. Lately though, things had monumentally shifted. When they first boarded the Christa, she had let it slip to Goddard that she had considered his early work "required reading," making him smirk and her having to silently admit that perhaps she held a deeper respect for him than she previously admitted. Following a sincere heart to heart, they both realized how much they needed each other and cared about one another, causing their friendship to be the strongest one she had ever had. As they spent more and more time with each other, the old, long repressed feelings she had were resurfacing, but this time it was rooted in a real relationship, not in the fantasy she had created so many years before. They were close, incredibly close, and on more than one occasion she had let it slip just how much she needed him and didn't want to lose him. More and more they were becoming freer with how they referred to each other (it had gotten to the point where, if they were alone, they exclusively used their first names with each other), and leaving lingering touches- holding a hand to comfort the other, a hug that lately seemed to linger longer, kisses to the cheek and forehead that did the same.

Last night, after another late night conversation (which had been happening more frequently of late), she had boldly kissed him on the cheek before bidding him good night, holding on for a moment longer than she initially intended. She felt her heart pounding, and knew the Commander's was too. As she turned to leave, she heard him follow, felt his hands pull her close, vaguely registered that her hands reached for him and for just a moment, knew that he was going to kiss her- really kiss her. They had been barely a breath away when Thelma had interrupted, breaking the spell between them and frustrating her to no end (although Seth was far quicker to express his feelings). She had left a few moments later, somehow disappointed that they didn't get that kiss, and not knowing if they would get that opportunity again soon.

Not for the first time in her life, she found herself realizing she was in love with Seth Goddard, but unlike the teenage infatuation of her youth, this was rooted in a much deeper connection. Their shared experiences, his wit and intelligence, and their mutual respect and dedication to their students and each other made this different. It was real, strong, and genuine. She loved him, that much she knew and deep down, she thought maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way.

Getting ready that morning for their supply run on the Elydian Outpost took longer than she wanted. Sleep was not something she had gotten much of the night prior, before or after her talk with Seth. Before, it had been simply her worrying about what might happen on the outpost. After, it had been replaying what had almost happened between them personally. Her body tingled excitedly, remembering how he held her, the way her body felt in his arms, and wishing she could go back to that moment. As she entered the Command Post at 0758, she saw only Harlan was still missing- typical, he would likely be most punctual at 0800 exactly. Goddard handed her a steaming mug of tea and smiled. "Good morning," he greeted her warmly.

Sipping her tea and noting it was just the way she liked it, she uttered her own greeting and a thank you, as Harlan entered via the jump tubes and the Commander began going over the procedures for their excursion. No one goes anywhere alone. Meet back at the Christa in six hours. Breaking them into teams. Follow supply lists exactly. Only go to approved vendors and locations (Seth had clearly been up the remainder of the night putting together all of this). As he went through the notes, TJ watched him intently, impressed with the ease with which he could command a situation, the consummate soldier and professional who could give orders and be respected all at once. Not for the first time, she found herself staring so when he had finished with his orders for them, she needed to shake her head to refocus herself. The students scattered to gather bags to carry supplies back in, promising to meet the adults at the airlock in thirty minutes. Their excited chatter faded as they moved out of earshot, leaving the adults alone with each other.

"So," Goddard started awkwardly.

"Thank you for the tea," she said gratefully. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

Goddard looked at her sheepishly and held up his own mug of coffee while shaking his head. "I'm powered by coffee," he told her, nervously running his free hand through his brown and gray-streaked hair.

She snorted out a mirthless laugh and shook her head. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Wise? No. Necessary? Absolutely."

"Necessary to not take care of yourself? Seth, that is hardly-"

"TJ, I have to," he cut in insistently, before she could finish. "Do I need to remind you that protecting you- my crew- is my responsibility?" He paused as he realized his slip up, catching her eye briefly before clearing his throat to continue. "STARDOGS need to calculate the risks and do everything in their power to get those crew members home. And sometimes we lose sleep while doing so. Prepare first, sleep later. Drink coffee."

"Stubborn as a mule," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear, but half-smiled at the slip up about protecting her before he corrected to their crew. Turning to him, she added, "Please be careful." Her eyes met his pleadingly. "Try to stay out of trouble."

Goddard stepped closer to Davenport then, grabbing hold of both her hands and squeezed them gently. "You too, TJ," he whispered. He leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead, which sent excited shivers through her. As he pulled back, they each smiled fully at the other, both pairs of eyes locked together and shining towards the other. For just a minute, she thought maybe there was something else in his eyes, before they both turned away, Seth clearing his throat.

"We should go," he said, with a reluctance in his voice.

"The students are going to start wondering where we are," TJ finished for him.

They both started walking towards the airlock, where Thelma had already extended a spaceway to the Elydian post. The students were already there and they broke into their teams, doing one last check to be sure they had what they needed before making their way onto the outpost. Seth had been right. For as much as the Elydians had set up a busy, bustling center, there was something that made her feel suddenly unsettled. Both teams headed in opposite directions to start searching for what they needed, but not before both adults turned to face each other, their faces mirroring similar concerned expressions of unease. They each mouthed another "be careful" to each other before disappearing into the crowds already filling the shopping areas.

None of the crew saw the man in the shadows who was watching them depart.

Six hours later, exhausted, loaded down with supplies, and ready for a nap, TJ dragged herself back to the Christa with Bova and Rosie in tow. She was done. Put a fork in me, she thought. After helping her younger students unload the medical supplies to the Medlab, she excused herself to wait outside the spaceway for Goddard and the other students. Even though the merchants she had encountered today were reasonable and fair, she had the sense that she was being watched, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The sooner they left, the better.

She was starting to get worried about the others when she saw Seth, looking frustrated and exhausted, leading the other three students back to the ship. They were loaded with bags but otherwise looked like they were in one piece. Once they got closer, she noted the bags under Seth's eyes and the general weariness in his face. He was just as tired as she. "Harlan, Radu, Suzee, take all this onto the ship and put it away," he ordered. Their young charges, clearly just as tired, didn't even argue. Rare for them, but they likely just wanted to crawl into bed just as she did. Once the students took the spaceway back to the ship, Goddard turned to TJ and wordlessly gathered her in his arms in a tight hug. She settled into him, snuggling her head onto his shoulder. They stayed that way for a moment, enjoying the way their bodies seemed to fit with the other before stepping back. "Let's go," he whispered, pulling away to guide her to the spaceway.

"Well, isn't this sweet. Commander Seth Goddard has a little girlfriend," a familiar voice mocked from behind him.

Davenport knew that voice well, just as she felt Seth push her behind him and stand protectively between her and Reaver, the pirate who she had encountered once before on their journey home, but who Seth had faced far more. That man was the cause of the Commander's demotion and of untold trouble throughout the galaxy. "Reaver," Seth growled.

"We really need to stop meeting like this," Reaver stated conversationally. "You don't call, you don't write. It's like you are avoiding me or something."

"Miss Davenport, go back to the ship," Goddard ordered, the soldier in him taking over.

"Commander?" she questioned softly, hesitant to leave him behind. Her hand was on his shoulder, peering around him to stare down the pirate along with Goddard.

"Now," he told her firmly. He turned to meet her gaze for a brief moment, his blue eyes showing steely resolve. She would not be able to change his mind.

Miss Davenport took a step towards the spaceway but was blocked by Reaver who had moved quickly to prevent her exit. "Now wait here, pretty thing," the pirate cooed to her. "I was just going to get to know you. Anyone who has the interest and attention of Commander Seth Goddard certainly has mine." The pirate started circling, leering at her and giving her the feeling of being a caged animal. "Davenport, huh? I knew a Davenport at the Starcademy. You remind me of him…" Reaver had a malicious grin spread across his face, as he came to a realization. It made him appear even more dangerous than he already was.

She fought waves of panic, looking desperately to Seth, who looked murderous. For a fleeting second, she thought perhaps he would leap forward and rip the pirate's throat out with his bare hands. Instead, she heard him growl threateningly, "Get. Away. From her."

"Oh, you're no fun," Reaver mocked him. He grabbed hold of TJ around the neck and held a weapon to her head. She gasped and froze, terror now gripping her body. "Besides, I am just getting to know James Davenport's precious daughter. Did you know your dear old dad was the person most responsible for me dropping out of the academy?"

"What makes you think that is my father?" Davenport said shakily.

"Besides the fact you share the same name and grating accent?" Reaver asked mockingly. "You look like him. He thought I didn't have what it took to be a proper STARDOG."

"Clearly Father was a good judge of character," TJ managed to spit out.

"He didn't see what I could do then. So blinded by his golden boy over there," he offhandedly pointed over to Goddard, then tightened his grip on TJ, "that he couldn't see my brilliance. If he could see me now," Reaver said in a lower voice, further tightening his grip and pushing the gun into her scalp. She could barely breathe.

"NO!" Seth cried out desperately. For the first time in his career, his carefully maintained facade of arrogant confidence slipped to reveal his fear. He knew right then the critical error he'd made (and why was it always Reaver who managed to get him to commit those mistakes?), but for the first time he wasn't able to stop himself. The absolute love of his life- the only person he'd ever loved- was being threatened by his greatest nemesis and he didn't know what to do. And he'd never told her…

"Goddard, I'm surprised at you. I thought you had no weakness, and yet here she is. Who knew that all I would have needed to do was threaten James Davenport's little princess and it would bring you to your knees. If I'd known that, I could have beaten you years ago. Just one question. Do you love her?" Goddard refused to answer him, instead looking desperately to Miss Davenport and trying to calculate what chances he had to free her and get her to safety. He saw the students at the end of the spaceway, who had returned, probably wondering what had been taking so long for their teachers to return, and Rosie, sweet gentle Rosie, manage to slip away, running towards the center of the complex, hopefully to get help. Harlan and Radu were whispering together, likely to formulate their own plan, while Bova and Suzee were listening. "No answer? Too bad, I guess if you don't I could just kill her now and it won't matter." Seth was just about to do the most insane thing he could think of to save TJ as Reaver started to pull the trigger. However, an electrical blast to the pirate's kneecap caused him to let go of Davenport and drop to the ground, as Harlan and Radu sprang forward to subdue the pirate. Reaver didn't put up much of a fight- he was busy screaming in pain at his burnt knee. Goddard mused briefly at how much power Bova zapped Reaver with (there was a small curl of smoke coming from where a hole had burnt through his pants). Security personnel arrived with Rosie a moment later, pointing to Reaver, now curled in a ball on the ground, being held down by a human and an Andromedan, while gripping his knee and cursing. TJ had already escaped, running straight to Seth, whose arms were tightly wrapped around her waist and rubbing her back soothingly.

The Elydian security force spent a few minutes trying to sort out what was happening, while cuffing Reaver. TJ recounted what he had done, shaking slightly in the Commander's arms as she did so.

"I'll get you for this, Goddard," Reaver threatened menacingly as he was dragged away, limping on his injured knee. "Now I owe you for this too."

"Add it to my tab," the Commander brazenly called back before the pirate was out of sight and away. "Team, we are leaving," he ordered.

"Sir," a lone security officer cut in. "We apologize for the inconvenience. I assure you he won't bother you for the remainder of your stay. Please, allow us to make this up to you."

Goddard shook his head. "Thank you, but no. My crew has been through a lot today. We appreciate the offer but it's time for us to be going."

The man nodded. "Safe journey then, sir. Please do come again."

The crew turned then and headed back to the Christa, weary, spent, and ready to leave. Goddard silently thought they would never be returning there. "Thelma?" the Commander called, once all had returned and the airlock was secured.

"Yes, Commander?" she asked, appearing in her characteristic manner.

"Scan for any intruders. I want to make sure no one followed us here."

Thelma took a moment before informing them both that the only ones aboard were the crew. Goddard thanked her, then continued down the corridor, desperately trying to hold everything together, but he was feeling the adrenaline surge starting to wear off. "Harlan, Radu, Suzee, get up to the Command Post. Plot a course to take us away from here. I want us gone in ten minutes. Take us sub light until we are clear of the outpost, then engage the hyperdrive to get us as far from here as possible."

"Yes, sir," Harlan said eagerly and ran for the Command Post with the others in tow.

Rosie and Bova were checking Miss Davenport for injuries just as she swore she was fine, just sore. Once the pair were satisfied that she was truly physically "fine," they went to the Medlab, where Rosie asked for help unpacking and organizing their new supplies.

"Seth?" TJ whispered from behind him once they were alone.

He turned and saw her begin to fall apart. She fell to her knees as tears cascaded down her cheeks, uncontrolled sobs came from deep within her, and her body began shaking. He dropped to the ground next to her and pulled her body into his lap, holding tightly as tears streaked down his own face. Crying was something he rarely did, but right now, between his own adrenaline crash and seeing how close he came to losing her for good, broke him. Neither knew how long they sat like that, holding on as though their very existence depended on it. Once the tears finally subsided though, they did not move, except for Seth to move his hand to cup her cheek again. This time nothing and no one interrupted them. Her hazel eyes seemed to look right into him, gripping him completely. Right then he made a decision and he leaned forward to press his lips to hers, softly at first then more eagerly as he felt her begin to respond. He poured everything he felt into the kiss, wanting her to understand how much he loved her. Every nerve ending in his body was alive and charged and wanting so much to remain like that for the rest of his days, his own desire and longing finally being shared with his love. When they finally broke apart, foreheads touching, grins on their faces, and still holding onto each other, he spoke what had been on his mind for so long. "I love you," he whispered in confession, looking right into her eyes, hoping his own eyes reflected what he said.

Davenport's eyes welled up again at this, but this time, they revealed a joy he'd never seen in her before. Her smile was wide and made him do the same. "I love you," she echoed softly. Reaching once more for each other, their lips met again, this time with both knowing how the other felt and feeling that love coursing through each of them. Neither could think of another moment in their lives that was more perfect than this.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, smiling, and still wrapped up in each other, they also realized where exactly they had ended up. Seth carefully disentangled them, then helped TJ to her feet, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady. Both let out yawns then, realizing both of their bodies were exhausted. Seth could tell by TJ's body language that she was spent and he was sure she would say the same for him. She allowed him to guide her to her quarters, where she kissed him deeply once more and turned for her bed, collapsing into it and promptly falling asleep. The Commander softly kissed her forehead, knowing full well she wouldn't even know it, then dropped onto the couch in her quarters and watched her sleep for a while, feeling a need to stay close to her after the day they'd had, but respecting her need to rest. He felt a sense of peace wash over him then, knowing she was safe, and finally defining where they each stood with the other, after dancing around their emotions for so long. He smiled as he put his head back and closed his eyes, dropping into a restful sleep and looking forward to the days ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been nearly a month since the incident on the Elydian Outpost and the subsequent confession both Seth and TJ had made to each other. Every waking moment not dedicated to Command Post trainings, classroom lessons, tutoring sessions, meals, or handling relations with races whose territory they were traveling through was spent alone with each other. Seth Goddard was amazed everyday by what he was discovering both about TJ Davenport and himself as their relationship grew. She pushed and challenged him in ways he never thought possible and rather than becoming quickly bored as he had with every previous relationship he had ever been in, he found himself falling more in love each day. While they both still argued and clearly understood how to push each other's buttons, it never seemed to have a malicious intent. As for their "unresolved" sexual tension (as his sister Callie had called it years ago), it would suffice to say it had been very much resolved. Many times over. Falling asleep with her in his arms had quickly become one of Goddard's favorite things, matched only by waking up to find TJ still there. There was a soft vulnerability to her in those quiet moments they shared, something he was seeing more of and that he had vowed to hold close and protect for as long as she'd allow.

An odd silent admission of the Commander's was that he actually thanked Reaver for where he currently stood with TJ. Even though he nearly killed Davenport, it was because of the pirate's actions that made Seth realize he needed to tell her what he felt. Goddard owed Reaver that much. _Maybe I'll tell him that if our paths ever cross again_ , he thought _. Right before I shoot him for touching her in the first place_. Seth doubted TJ would approve of that but it would make him feel a whole lot better.

By their own decision, they had made the choice not to tell their students yet of their changed relationship status. More fairly, he had requested that and TJ more or less agreed for the time being. Not to say they weren't ever going to, but rather, it was so new they had wanted to see first where it was headed before announcing it to the crew. Admittedly, Seth was being slightly selfish as well, wanting to keep TJ to himself for a while, but he also felt like he wanted to be protective of her as well. The last thing he wanted was for others to give her trouble over them being together. She deserved better and he would fight every day of his life to prove to her and to everyone that he was good enough.

Truthfully, his love life had always been something he kept private, even from his family- his sister Callie had been the only member of his family who had ever met any girlfriends in the past, but never at "home"- so the idea of making a somewhat public statement as to whom he was dating and how he felt about said partner was foreign. He could sense the day was coming though where they would at least need to be honest with their young charges (who despite their academic struggles were actually pretty perceptive when it came to reading people and situations), that much he knew, and he needed to start readying himself for what he figured would be an inevitable onslaught of questions his students would have.

It was this very question Seth posed to TJ that night after dinner, once the students had left them in the galley when dinner was cleaned up. The pair had stayed behind to enjoy some tea and coffee (a longstanding evening tradition they had established even before officially dating), and he wanted to get her opinion on the subject.

TJ was contemplative as she considered his thoughts, holding tightly to her mug, while biting on the inside corner of her lip, a sign he had come to realize indicated she was deep in thought, but also showed that she was carefully thinking out her answer. It was an action he found adorable and sexy all at once. "I should think we will need to say something sooner rather than later," she started slowly. "A team is supposed to be honest and forthcoming with each other, especially if there is some sort of fundamental change to the dynamics. This… us… what we have become to each other… it seems to me qualifies for a shift in how our team possibly operates, yes?"

"Yes," he agreed with a nod. "It would." He paused, letting a half smirk cross his face before adding, "We've been pretty good about keeping it quiet so far though."

Davenport fixed him with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile. "Mostly."

"Mostly?" he questioned scooting his chair closer to her and reaching out to run his thumb from her cheek down her jawline. "Do you know how badly I wanted to kiss you all through dinner tonight? And I didn't." His voice had taken on a rougher, suggestive quality which TJ found hard to resist.

"No, you just played footsie with me the whole time just so you could find a way to touch me without the students seeing. Are you aware of how hard it was for me to not react to that?" she shot back, her own voice taking on a sensual quality that drove Seth mad.

"How hard?" he asked softly, leaning forward so he was mere inches from her.

TJ leaned forward as well, touching her forehead to his and looking into his eyes. She reached her hand up to his face, closing the last small space between them and kissing him soundly, giving in to her desire for him for a short moment before pulling away. "We're telling them," she said, with a finality to her voice.

He sighed and nodded, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before leaning back. "Okay."

"Don't you give me that Seth Goddard, we are telling them- wait. You agree with me?" TJ looked genuinely surprised that he did not put up more of a fight on an issue he had been so adamant about keeping hush about for the past several weeks, and admittedly she had agreed to. She inquired about the sudden change.

"You're right," he said simply.

Her eyes narrowed. It couldn't be this easy. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. No strings." TJ eyeballed him suspiciously. Seth took a deep breath, rubbed his temples, and he pressed forward. "Yes, in the past, I've always been very private about my relationships. As a rule, I didn't discuss them and even my own family didn't generally know if I was in one. Except my sister Callie. She always knew but only because she was able to guess before I actually told her." He smiled briefly at the memory of Callie calling him out the few times he'd had a girlfriend. He'd try denying it but she always figured it out. If they were home now, Seth was sure that Callie would undoubtedly be pushing him on TJ too and somehow got the sense for the first time his sister would actually approve of his girlfriend (something she'd never done before). TJ eyed him curiously as he shook the thoughts from his head and continued, "Between STARDOG fraternization rules and a single minded focus on my career, relationships just weren't something I made time for. And anytime I had been in one it didn't last long and they weren't discussed openly. However, this particular voyage, us being here, it's changed how I see things."

"In what ways?" she asked curiously, with a hint of caution in her voice. Davenport had already known Goddard was notoriously tight lipped about who he associated with romantically but he was doing a course correction fairly abruptly and she wanted to know why.

"You. Just being on this ship with you the past three years, learning who you actually are, not the image you projected to others, figuring out who we are together, the unwavering support, the way you challenge me and make me think things through, how you always say what you feel not what you think I want to hear- I've never known anyone who pushes me like you do. Do you understand what a gift that is?" Seth looked at her in wonder, trying to convey with his eyes just what it meant. He held her hands in his as he said this, feeling the now familiar electricity shooting through him as it did every time he touched her. It was something he did not believe would ever get old.

"Thank you," she said softly as she blushed a deep shade of red. That was an admission she didn't expect. "But how does that-"

"For the first time in my life, I want to tell people that I'm involved with someone- with you- starting with our students. I'm ready." He took hold of her hand and started rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb. Goddard's corresponding smile reached to his eyes.

TJ squeezed his hand back, smiling in response. One thing he said though troubled her somewhat. "Fraternization rules," she murmured. Her eyes widened. "Seth, aren't we breaking-"

"Nope," he broke in. "Maybe when we first left we would have been but not now. As far as I'm concerned, the minute they let you go from the Starcademy is the same time that those rules no longer applied to us. I want to see someone try to tell me otherwise, because frankly, I will just tell them to suck it." A grin spread across his face, but his eyes looked serious.

"Seth!" TJ wasn't sure whether she should be scandalized or start giggling.

"What are they gonna do? Court martial me? They're already going to do that." He sounded flippant but TJ knew there was a seriousness to his statement as well. She was about to respond when he continued. "The one thing I will not let them do is try to tear me from you. I can't lose you. I'm all in Teej. There is not a single scenario I can imagine where you are not part of my future and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens." His eyes turned steely blue, a resolve in them that she did not often see, but when it appeared, it was best to listen. Further, it was the first time Seth had made mention that he thought of them as having a future together, not just in the day to day, which warmed Davenport's heart and made her fall that much harder for him.

"I am a lucky woman," she said softly, squeezing his hand again.

"And I am a lucky man," he answered back. He leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her lips, then said, "Tomorrow."

"What?" TJ mumbled, her lips still tingling from the all too brief contact with him.

"We'll tell the students tomorrow. Dinner," Seth told her with a grin. He finished off his coffee then, rising from the table to clean the mug.

"All right then," Davenport told him, finishing off her own tea and joining him at the sink, handing her mug to Seth to be cleaned. "Deal. Tomorrow. Nervous?"

He grinned widely. "I'll never tell."

"You are," she responded cheekily.

He turned off the sink, wiped his hands off, then put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, dropping a kiss into her hair. He should have known better than try to lie to TJ, considering how easily she could read him. "Yeah," he whispered. "But you'll be with me. That's how I know it'll be okay."

She blushed and snuggled her head into his shoulder. "Together," she whispered back.

Regardless of what the following day would bring, as long as they had one another, she knew that it would be all right. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

Telling their students of the relationship they had entered into had probably ended up being a rather amusing story that the students would likely tell at TJ and Seth's expense for years to come. At the end of dinner the following evening after an eventful day on the ship, the adults had decided to take the plunge and admit what they had been up to. TJ had made an excellent point the evening prior- it could affect the dynamics of their team and for that reason alone, they needed to be honest with the children. Truthfully, Seth would have preferred facing Warlord Shank than what he faced, not because he wasn't happy to be with her or that he wasn't ready to tell people, but simply because making feelings public was something he hadn't ever done. His nervousness ended up being for nothing.

The students were not even surprised.

Goddard and Davenport broached the subject at the end of the meal, right before the students were set to start cleaning up. "So, um, Miss Davenport and I have some news," the Commander started nervously. He glanced at TJ who nodded encouragingly. She reached her hand over to take his and gently squeezed it reassuringly. "We, um, well, the two of us are… seeing each other," he offered lamely.

"You see each other every day," Bova answered flatly. His expression looked indifferent, save for a minor, almost imperceptible eyebrow raise upon seeing Davenport take Goddard's hand, but that was no more or less the way Bova looked most of the time.

"I think what Commander Goddard is trying to say is we are together. As in… dating," Davenport added awkwardly, trying to gently break the news, but stumbling just as much as the Commander.

The students barely budged at the announcement and both were fairly certain they could hear the proverbial crickets chirping.

"Is that it?" Suzee had said slightly bored. "Please. We've known for a while."

"Yeah, when you said you had news, I thought it was you were engaged or pregnant or something," Harlan added, looking as though he had been deprived of some sort of juicier gossip than he'd actually gotten.

"Wha- we aren't there yet," Goddard argued. "How did you-?"

"I caught you both together in the Medlab after Miss Davenport got shot," Rosie offered shyly. "You looked pretty cozy and I felt like I had interrupted something serious."

"Miss D, you never get angry with the Commander when he's late for a meal," Harlan added. "You just smile and let it go, which you never do with us."

"You're constantly bringing each other coffee and tea," Bova chimed in dully. "Smelling that all the time is disgusting."

"And all of us heard what Reaver said back on the outpost and saw how Commander Goddard reacted," Suzee continued. "The way you both looked at each other after that made us all realize there was something between you that you were trying to keep private."

"No one wanted to pry though. Some of us were willing to let you have some privacy. We all agreed that it had to be your choice to say," Radu added. "We're happy for you though."

"Wait, what day is it?" Suzee interrupted, a bright look on her face as though she had just realized something important.

"September 22," Bova told her dully. "Not that it matters."

"Who had September in the pool?" Suzee asked.

"Not me," Bova said glumly. "No surprise there."

Harlan grinned, realizing he was the lucky one. "Me! Yeah! Told you all!"

"What pool?" Goddard asked suspiciously. He and Davenport simultaneously folded their arms across their chests, staring down their students. None of them seemed fazed by the looks they were receiving.

"The 'when are they finally going to tell us they're together' pool," Suzee said as though it were obvious.

"We knew, and were more curious when you'd actually just be honest with us and say so," Rosie told them, shrugging her shoulders but having the sense to look guilty and apologetic as she admitted it.

Goddard had to hand it to the students for using discretion in approaching the subject which in some way showed a certain level of maturity. However, having a side bet on the matter was another issue entirely. "What were the terms of this pool?" he asked dryly.

"No money," Harlan said quickly.

"That's not what I asked," the Commander said sternly. "What were the terms?"

"Losers have to do the winner's chores for a week," Bova supplied flatly.

The adults glanced at each other, trying to make a decision on whether or not to punish them. "Miss Davenport, does Harlan owe you anything for class?" Goddard asked.

TJ smiled smugly. "Well, he did fail his last hyperspace engineering exam. I should think he has extra time for additional tutoring for… well, at least the next week."

"What?! Man, that's not fair!" Harlan complained.

"Neither was taking bets on _our_ personal life. We're even," Goddard shot back, waving his hand between him and Davenport as he said "our."

The other students had giggled at Harlan's misfortune until the Commander added on how all their chores and Command Post trainings were doubled in addition to taking on Harlan's duties. There was a chorus of grumbles, but they quickly moved on, congratulating their teachers before beginning to scurry around to clean up. Once they finished, each gave their teachers a short hug, expressing their happiness for the pair before bidding them good night and promising to be at the Command Post at 0800 for the start of their extra trainings.

Once they were alone, TJ turned to him with a wry smile. "We've been good about keeping things quiet, hmm?" she teased lightly.

Seth laughed loudly. "They'd give my sister a run for her money. At the very least, they're more observant than we give them credit for."

"And the side bet?" she asked. Her eyes widened as she realized Harlan's punishment. "Heavens, I have a week of extra tutoring sessions! Did I seriously just volunteer to be a part of that punishment?"

"Relax, Teej," Seth assured her. "We never actually said you had to be the tutor." She tilted her head towards him curiously, as though she were trying to figure out where this was going.

"And who do you suppose-?"

"Suzee doesn't know it yet but I'm putting her in charge of getting him up to speed from that exam," Seth cut in quickly. "Put her engineering genius to the test by making her teach someone else. You just get him a makeup test in a week. He doesn't make a pass grade next time, well, let the brilliant one explain."

TJ's jaw dropped. "That's evil," she admonished him. "Effective, but evil." Shifting the subject slightly, she said, "Other than the bet, it seemed that the students took the news well."

"Is it terrible to say that it's a relief it went well?" he asked.

"No. And they were the easy ones. Wait until we have to tell our families at home," she told him, glancing sideways with a small smile. "Or the Admiral."

"One step at a time," he said quickly. Standing up, he moved about the room to fill two mugs, one with tea, one with coffee, as he thought of what might be facing them at home. He didn't even want to think about facing STARDOG command with the news. Imagining what the looks on their faces might be gave him heart palpitations, but he quickly shoved it aside. There would be hell if they tried giving him an issue about TJ because he'd be the one raising it. Accepting his fate for breaking the rules with Reaver or by disappearing with the students was something he would gladly face; the thought of them perhaps coming after TJ was another matter entirely. It was one thing for him to push her buttons; anyone else would have hell to pay.

Handing the steaming mug of tea to TJ, Seth put his arm around her shoulders and guided her out of the galley. "Where to, Miss Davenport?" he asked playfully, nudging her slightly as they walked.

"Home," she said simply. "Let's go home."


	6. Chapter 6

Routine was a word TJ Davenport would have used to describe the first thirty-two years of her life. Life had a particular order, rhythm, purpose, and definition. It was predictable, safe… and boring. Over the past several years all she had known, planned, ordered, and mentally labeled into neat and orderly checkboxes had been completely upended and scattered about. As quickly as she tried to reorder them, catalogue what she thought she knew, circumstances rearranged things again. As time went on, she became better about adapting to those changes but it had been a mess for the first couple years.

Part of her need to keep such order came from her tendency toward perfectionism, and reinforced by her mother who expected top marks, exceptional behavior, and impeccable manners. People- her mother, teachers, bosses- expected a certain type of behavior, professionalism, work ethic- and she strove to make sure they were happy with her at all times. As years passed, she gained a reputation for being rigid, icy, unyielding, and unerringly adhering to the sets of rules given to her. She was a people pleaser and a rule follower and as long as people were pleased with her work, and she followed all the rules she was supposed to, she was happy. Or so she had thought. Then her carefully ordered world had started crumbling down and regardless of how she tried to control it, things found a new way to spiral from her grasp.

The first part had been the dissolution of her engagement six years earlier. William seemed like the perfect man and represented everything she thought was expected of her- polite, put together, steady job as a biophysics teacher, financially sound- and as it turned out, a cheat. TJ had come home from work early one afternoon to find him in bed with Vicky, the head of the Starcademy admissions department. Instead of accepting that he had been responsible for his indiscretions, William had tried blaming TJ for his wandering, claiming that her long hours and single minded focus on her career had left him lonely and ignored. She stormed out in a rage and made an uncharacteristic production of launching her engagement ring out the nearest airlock and loudly declared that if he really wanted it back he could go get it himself. After that incident, she decided to just not date anymore, further compartmentalizing her life while guarding herself from any further heartache.

Her mother had been furious that she'd broken the engagement, citing how much money they'd already spent and speculating on what others would think when they discovered why the nuptials were off. It had been her father who'd talked Mother down, saying that he was proud TJ had set her own boundaries based on what she could live with. His words of encouragement to her included his pride that she had enough morals to understand that what had been done to her was wrong and having the strength to stand up for herself. He did not want to see his daughter closed off, but he did want her to be able to choose what she could and could not live with in a partner. In retrospect, had she gone through with the wedding, she would likely have been divorced already, so calling it off when she had was a blessing. TJ of course, while happy to have her father's support, just couldn't bring herself to even think about dating for the foreseeable future. Her trust in the opposite sex shattered, TJ categorized dating and love into a neat little mental box labeled "frivolity" and ignored.

Two weeks later Commander Seth Goddard walked into her life.

TJ had known the stories from her father- the brilliant strategist, the hero, the noble captain whose meteoric rise through the ranks became modern legend amongst STARDOGS. His Starcademy papers and reports filed as a STARDOG following showed not only the promising merit of a cadet still in his schooling, but subsequent years showed insight, thoughtfulness, compassion, and even brutal honesty when needed. His work fascinated and intrigued Davenport, becoming required reading for herself and her students. When she had heard Goddard had made an error severe enough to warrant a demotion and reassignment to the Starcademy, she was curious as to what was the cause (she'd certainly heard the stories and accusations, about nearly inciting a war as the result of a run in with a pirate, but as in every scenario the full truth was always somewhat elusive). Being given the assignment as the person who would be doing his evaluations while a part of the faculty had been an honor at first- until she realized it was only because the principal didn't want to deal with the Commander and had delegated that responsibility to her instead. The man who TJ ended up in charge of was not the man she'd heard so much about.

Goddard presented himself as infuriating, impossible, and stubborn. His insistence on not following procedure and order went against everything she believed. He was disrespectful, angry, bitter, and a shell of the man she had heard so much about and that angered her more. Every time she found herself in his presence those first months she felt a loathing towards him that only seemed to grow as time passed. Yet, with all their fighting, disagreements, and differing viewpoints on how lessons should be taught (and there were some loud, pointed, and public arguments), TJ found herself constantly charging back in to him, never giving up and vowing to help him become a better man. And why? Because her father had asked her to keep trying.

Goddard had been his student and the pair had kept in close contact in the years following. Father, having only two daughters, quietly considered Seth the son he never had, and was always available to dispense advice or hear him out when needed. TJ called her dad soon after the Commander's arrival for assistance in how to deal with him and his advice stuck with her.

"TJ, love, I promise you that the man you are seeing is not the man he is," James Davenport assured her calmly. "Be patient."

"I'm trying, but Commander Goddard is constantly getting under my skin. It's like he is purposefully attempting to infuriate me. No regard whatsoever for rules, protocol-" she trailed off as she saw her father smiling at her through the vidscreen. "What?"

"Haven't ever seen you this turned inside out over a man before. Not even William." Her father's grin was infuriatingly large and his eyes were reflecting a jovial humor.

TJ was not amused and immediately understood what her father was implying. He had known of his daughter's infatuation with the Commander as a teenager, but this was decidedly not the case anymore. She quickly became indignant. "I do NOT like him," TJ told him a little too emphatically.

"I never said you did," James lobbed back lightly.

TJ gaped at her father for a minute before finding her voice again. "Even if I did, we have nothing in common," she said quietly. "And his reputation-"

"Look past that, princess," he advised. "Worry about his character, not his reputation."

"What-"

"Character is who you are. Reputation is who people think you are," he told her gently. "Your job is to scrape back what he is presenting and find out who he is underneath it, not to believe every blasted rumor circulating that is solely based on what others think. It's easy to listen to what other people say. It's more effective to know a person directly. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find."

That advice, given to her years ago, as well as continued encouragement from her dad when she needed it, drove her throughout Goddard's time at the Starcademy. He was not a man who could be placed into a neat little box, making him a significant, unpredictable challenge. Some days he would be open to her assistance and let her help him lesson plan and would even listen to her advice. Other days, he made her feel like a nuisance and TJ would storm off in a huff, which earned him a loud admonishment, and her an equally snide and well-placed barb in return. He was not afraid to go toe to toe with her and truth be told, she secretly came to enjoy their verbal sparring matches (that she may have incited some off, including when she intentionally gave him the current group of students with the response, "You wanted a challenge, here they are." That had resulted in a huge fight). There were few people who she felt could challenge her intellectually and he certainly did that. As time passed she developed a deep, if grudging, respect for the man. Occasionally they would even share a quiet moment where one or both of them would share a small personal detail- something she was sure hadn't been revealed to anyone else at the academy, like how she worked so hard in order to prove to other faculty members she had earned her place on staff, or how Seth worried over his favorite sister's health and regretted that he couldn't always be physically there for her. Those moments felt intimate and raw, feelings that she'd never experienced with William, but nearly always followed with a spectacularly loud argument which ruined whatever progress she thought they might have made.

That fateful day nearly three years later, with Goddard three weeks shy of completing his assignment changed everything. Barely held together categorization, which had been tenuous but under control, was permanently upended and irreparably destroyed. All she knew was gone. TJ had to learn to adapt, grow, and open herself up to people in order to survive long enough to get the children in the care of her and the Commander home. She had to reach into herself and find strength she never knew even existed within her because there was no other option than that. Even more importantly, she needed to open herself to Goddard and learn to trust him, which was scary at first, but as time went on, his companionship became welcome, comforting, and something she relied on. She and the Commander had developed a system that worked for them as the months and years passed but rigidity was out the window. Learning to be flexible was frightening, jarring,... and freeing. More than once she wondered if her father's advice about Seth could also be applied to herself- was that newfound strength a buried part of her character that was only now able to manifest itself? How did that change her perceived reputation? Did reputation even matter anymore? Being so far in space certainly created the necessity of TJ standing on her character alone as no one seemed to care about reputation. It slowly changed her- she believed for the better- and she knew Seth Goddard was partially responsible for the changes within her.

Along the way, the time they spent together had developed into first an even deeper respect for one another, then a strong friendship and later, a love intense enough to surpass what she had ever felt with any other man in her life. Including her ex-fiancé. TJ often wondered if there had always been some spark between them, ignited by those initial battles they had engaged in at the Starcademy (and to which her dad noted on more than one occasion perhaps indicated there were other buried feelings at work other than the loathing they both claimed to feel), because the emotions she now felt defied any sort of categorization, organization, or neat boxes to fit in. Her new routine, new order, was feeling her heart be regularly raw, exposed, and vulnerable while simultaneously understanding his heart was just as fragile. Being presented with, and more importantly trusted with, his heart was something implicitly understood to be something to hold close and guard tightly. It was a responsibility TJ intended to honor.

She also began to understand more of the abstract statements people would make to her, looking for deeper meaning in things stated. Case in point- character vs reputation. At times she would see Seth Goddard's reputation on display as he commanded the ship- slightly cocky, self-assured, quickly reacting to circumstances (although he had been showing some growth in making smarter, less rash decisions), and displaying a confidence and leadership that few possess and even less could effectively wield. Watching him in soldier mode, leading them all to safety through hellish moments, was exhilarating and downright sexy. His character though was more complicated.

What she had discovered is that while he was all the above in regards to what others thought, few people saw the layers beneath. No one saw how deeply compassionate he was for others. They didn't realize the depth of his nobility. He was, as the meaning of his name suggested, the "appointed one," even if it was just by chance, and that responsibility was one that he took seriously (even if she had, in the past suggested otherwise). His bravery and courageousness masked a deeper seated insecurity and fear- flaws that he desperately tried to squash and to which only TJ seemed privy to knowing. Another trait those outside the crew rarely saw was the scale of how protective he was, both of the students and especially of her. Davenport supposed it had always been there and could name various scenarios where he had put himself, physically, between her and whatever threat was there. She loved that he was willing to do whatever it took to keep them safe, but worried about what the cost would be when one day he potentially tempted fate for the last time and would be lost forever. It scared her, and that fact had been expressed to him after more than one mission. She also didn't want that protective stance to lead to a disastrous outcome, whether it was keeping her or the students safe. They had to be professional in battle. Level-headed. Dispassionate ( _okay, the last one is probably a bad choice TJ,_ she thought. _He loves far too deeply to ever be considered "dispassionate." Proves that almost every night when we're alone_ ). She blushed as she allowed thoughts to filter into her head of how thoroughly passionate he was with her when they were alone, and then quickly tried to compose herself as she realized where she was. Namely, the Command Post.

Seth caught her eye briefly as she tried to calm herself and his eyes held a question, seeming to ask if she was alright. She nodded slightly, then watched as he turned back to Harlan, who was at helm, working to land them safely on the planet they were stopping on.

"Take us in, nice and easy, Mr. Band," Goddard instructed.

"I know what I'm doing, Commander," Harlan whined as he guided the ship into position. "Just one more second and- got it!"

The crew had happened upon a small uninhabited planet which, according to scans, had a breathable atmosphere, and tranquil weather. Suzee was doing routine maintenance and had asked if they could land for a day or two so that she could replace a handful of parts that would require an engine shutdown. Thankfully, they were components acquired on the Elydian Outpost several months ago so they were available, but they hadn't needed replacing until now. Goddard was amenable to the request and so Harlan and Radu were working in tandem to set them down gently.

They landed with a soft bump, but nothing terribly jarring. "Nicely done, Mr. Band," the Commander told him. "Suzee?"

The young girl worked quickly from behind the engineering console, twisting dials and pushing buttons (which is all Davenport understood of that station considering the ship didn't allow her or the Commander much access to its systems. Seth had more luck with the mechanical side of things.). "Engines are powered down," she said a moment later, looking up as she said this. "I'm going to start work if that's okay. Sooner I'm done, the sooner we can continue on our way."

Goddard nodded his assent as the Yensidian entered the jump tubes, heading to engineering to begin her work. "The rest of you, relax, meet back here in three hours." The students scattered, Rosie chattering about some medical research, Bova about some experiment he was running. Only Radu seemed troubled, his head slightly cocked as though he were trying to hear something. "Mr. Radu?" Goddard queried quietly, not wanting to startle the young Andromedan.

"I thought I heard something. Something… familiar? Outside. With the engines off it's easier to hear…" he trailed off. He moved slowly towards the door of the Command Post, looking as though he was trying to focus on what he was listening to.

"Radu?" Harlan asked. "Something dangerous?"

He shook his head. "No. It could be an animal. Whatever it is, it sounds hurt. Could I go check it out?" The boy had a compassionate side- always worried over others.

The Commander nodded. "Harlan, you and Rosie go with him. Don't stray too far off. I want you all in constant contact. If it's anything dangerous I want a report right away- no heroics." He looked pointedly at Harlan, who gave him a look like "who, me?", and continued. "Regardless, I want you all back before Suzee checks in. Three hours."

Radu nodded, with Harlan mumbling, "Yes, sir," before leaving to retrieve Rosie.

"Are you certain it's alright for them to be wandering on their own, Commander?" TJ asked lightly, a worried tone creeping into her voice. Despite the changes in her the past few years, she did still worry, especially when it came to the safety of the children.

"They'll be fine," Seth assured her. "Radu tends to have a good sense of what he hears. If it's anything serious, he'll let us know." Looking around, he noted they were alone and let a sly smirk spread across his features. Grabbing a hold of her hand, he surprised TJ by suddenly twirling her around, then pulling her close, swaying back and forth with her for a few moments before she spoke up.

"Seth?" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Dancing," he said simply. "With you."

"There's no music," she pointed out. Another twirl, which drew a small giggle from her.

"I can ask Thelma to-"

"No. It's all right. This is nice." She paused as she realized something. "You're trying to distract me."

"Maybe." Another smirk. "Is it working?"

"A little bit." She rather enjoyed the quiet dance, being held close to him and swaying in his arms. It was an activity they were not often afforded and she intended to enjoy it, even if it was just meant to distract her from worrying.

"What were you thinking about before?" he asked gently, as they continued moving with each other.

"Before? What-?"

"While we were landing. You zoned out for a few minutes. By the time I got your attention you were beet red. Everything okay?" the Commander looked concerned as he asked. One thing TJ rarely did was daydream, especially while in the Command Post on duty.

Davenport smiled and nodded. "Everything is fine," she assured him. "I was contemplating many things- mostly how we both have changed since boarding the Christa. For the better." Not the whole truth. Not a lie.

"Interesting." Another twirl. Another girlish giggle. Strong arms holding tight to her again. Electricity shooting through her body. "And the blush?" he needled her teasingly.

She kissed him briefly, but long enough to convey that it was indeed related to him. Blast him that he read her so well. Seth always claimed his sister Callie was best at reading people, but he was never wrong when it came to figuring TJ out. Her own sister wasn't even that good.

Before the kiss could take on a life if its own, Thelma interrupted. "There's a message coming in sir."

Seth sucked in a breath from being surprised by Thelma's sudden appearance. Neither of them would ever figure out how she was able to appear from nowhere. "From who?" Goddard asked, shooting a regretful gaze to TJ before reluctantly letting go and snapping back to duty.

"Radu. He says it's urgent."

"Patch it through." Pause. "Radu?"

"Commander!" Harlan's voice came through, sounding hurried and panicked. "We're heading back to the ship. Meet us in the Medlab!"

"Harlan? What's going on?" No answer came through. "Harlan? Harlan! Damnit!" the Commander ran from the Command Post, with Davenport right on his heels. There was no discussion between them in the short, urgent run but what met the pair was not what they expected. Rather than being greeted by an injured student (which TJ had been sure was the case), they were instead met by Rosie methodically working on Sirola Elmira, Warlord Shank's daughter, who despite her parentage had proven herself to be an ally on a number of occasions. She was laying in obvious pain, and mumbling something that sounded familiar to TJ, but she couldn't quite place what it was.

"Harlan, what the hell happened?" Goddard demanded.

"We found her hiding in a cave nearby. Radu heard her," Harlan explained.

"You didn't think perhaps you should have asked before just showing up with her?" Goddard asked pointedly.

"Elmira is a friend, Commander," Rosie said as she worked. "We couldn't just leave her there."

The Commander sighed and glanced at Davenport, who looked like she needed more information. She then turned toward Elmira, who, upon sensing the attention from Miss Davenport, tried speaking again, but the young Spung girl was struggling.

"Relax, Elmira," Rosie asked gently. "You've got to stay still while I figure out your injuries."

"Gentleman, a word," Goddard said firmly, jerking his head to one side, indicating he wanted them to follow.

"I'm going to stay with Rosie," Davenport told him in a whisper. Goddard nodded, then took Harlan and Radu outside the Medlab.

"Commander Goddard wants to know why I am here. On this planet," Elmira stated weakly to Davenport. "And if my father is looking for me."

"Right now we just need to be sure your injuries are tended to," TJ told her gently, trying to divert attention to Rosie's ministrations.

"You are concerned also," Elmira continued. "It is your nature. You care and worry for everyone, even if you do not always show it. Even for me." Elmira added the last bit on, smiling weakly, then wincing as Rosie applied a salve to her midsection, causing the Sirola to draw in a sharp breath.

Davenport remained silent for a few moments as Rosie continued working, moving only when the young Mercurian asked for certain items to be passed. Contemplating Elmira's words, TJ realized the girl was right. She did worry and care for others, and yes, even for the princess in front of her. The girl had saved the crew at large more than once and in this instance, was time they returned the favor. The reverie she had slipped into broke a few minutes later as Rosie announced Elmira had fallen asleep and the Commander, Harlan, and Radu returned.

"When will she be awake?" she heard Harlan ask.

"Hard to say. I had to give her a sedative to let her rest. She has two broken ribs, which are causing her a lot of pain, and also a number of bruises and deep cuts spread over her entire body. I gave her an antibiotic for an infection above her right eye. I don't know what happened to her to cause her injuries. How long was she out there?"

The boys shrugged and the Commander shook his head. "Gentlemen, go to the Command Post, monitor the sector for any Spung activity. I want a report if so much as a light blinks. Rosie, watch Elmira, inform me the moment she wakes up. We are going to need information on why she was on the planet and how she got here. Suzee?"

"Yes, Commander?" Suzee answered over shipboard communications.

"How go the repairs?"

"Well, I replaced a handful of burned out relays between the main thrusters and the hyperdrive, and am doing some work to stabilize the deutronium crystal that powers the protomix master core now," she answered. "After that I will work on the ion glide. I have some ideas on how to-"

"How soon can you have us space worthy again?" he cut in impatiently.

If Suzee caught on to his tone, she didn't let on. Wise decision on the girl's part. TJ could see the worry lines creasing Seth's forehead, signaling that he was concerned about their current fortune. The sooner they got back off the ground, the better. "If all goes well, tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"Shoot for sooner than later," Goddard ordered. "Check back with me in 2 hours with an update."

The Yensidian girl answered with an affirmative before going silent again.

"Walk with me," Seth said to TJ, leading her from the Medlab, and heading to the galley, where presumably, he was going to get a much needed cup of coffee. "Did Elmira say anything before Rosie sedated her?" he asked.

"Only that she knows you will want answers. To discover if her father is looking for her. That we both are concerned," she told him, as she tried to order what Elmira had shared.

"She's right on that. Our track record with running into the Spung, especially Shank, is far too frequent for my liking. With her here-"

"It begs the question, how long will it be until the Spung show up?" TJ finished for him. She shuddered slightly, understanding only too well what danger they were in.

He nodded as he escorted her into the galley, moving straight to brew up coffee for himself, and asking if she wanted tea, to which she nodded her assent. While they waited for their respective beverages, TJ spoke what had been on her mind on the entire walk from the Medlab. "Seth, what happens if the Spung do show up before Suzee finishes the repairs?"

Seth looked over wearily to TJ, and shook his head, silently admitting that the odds were not in their favor. It was something she knew would never be told to the students, but one of the pieces of his character he would only reveal to her. Seth Goddard feared for their safety and in the quiet, private moments he shared with TJ, he would share those thoughts with her and her alone. The only answer he was able to muster aloud was a forced, "I don't know," before dropping onto a chair, drained of whatever energy remained, and stared blankly ahead. TJ had no words and instead sat quietly beside him, gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his head over to rest against hers. It unsettled her to see the Commander seem so unsure, but for now, until he was ready to face their next challenge head on (or when they would no doubt have no choice but to), she needed to let him have this moment to contemplate the unfairness of the vacuum of space and whether they would yet again have what it took to survive.

They sat in silence for a long while, barely registering their drinks had finished being prepared and instead reveled in the silence they were both sharing, however brief it might end up being.


	7. Chapter 7

Rosie informed the adults that Elmira had awoken three hours later. By then, Suzee had already informed them repairs were going well but would need extra hands if she was to be done faster. Goddard ordered Thelma and Bova down to engineering to assist her while Harlan and Radu worked with them in the Command Post to test parts that had already been replaced. Rosie had faithfully stayed by Elmira's side, monitoring her progress as she rested. The ability of the crew to work together seamlessly on the tasks assigned for the day gave Goddard a measure of comfort and help settle his somewhat addled nerves.

Goddard and Davenport had finally gotten themselves out of the temporary funk they were in, after finally speaking their fears and worries, and managed to refuel with their respective coffee and tea. TJ was truly his rock, listening to his fears, and wordlessly allowing him to work it all out in his head. While he would have thought her nothing like her father, his mentor, at the start of their trip, she was day by day exhibiting more of his traits and beliefs than Seth had believed TJ even possessed.

He remembered a conversation with James Davenport just after arriving at the Starcademy, bitter over his appointment there following his demotion, where he was loudly complaining about Miss Davenport. Trying to respectfully handle the situation was hard- TJ was his daughter- but he needed advice on how to approach the woman without strangling her and Goddard knew no one better to advise him than his old teacher. "Seth, my boy, TJ has been through a lot recently."

"It doesn't mean she needs to be so uptight." Seth started enumerating faults on his fingers as he paced his quarters. "She's rigid, icy, cold-"

"Hurting," James cut in softly. The sad look on his face gave Goddard pause, halting his manic pacing and looking to the vidscreen in confusion.

"Excuse- what?"

James sighed loudly. "There is a great deal you don't know of TJ and I will not go into the details of her personal life with you- for that, you'd need to earn her trust and have her tell you herself. She may appear to be acting more like her mother most of the time, but the truth is, she is much more like me than she realizes."

"Trust? I'm lucky if I can be in a room with her without one of us biting the other's head off," Seth told him bitterly.

"Be patient. You might find the pair of you aren't so dissimilar."

Goddard had scoffed at him then, and several subsequent conversations at the academy had reiterated his feelings. However, there were a few instances he saw that perhaps there was something to James' comments. Despite their frequent verbal battles, TJ never gave up on him. What he thought had been a need to be an incessant thorn in his side, was just her way of trying to push him to be a better man. Occasionally he would even see short-lived glimmers of softening and her carefully maintained facade of unyielding professional rigidity dropped long enough that he could gain insight into what made her operate. It was during those moments he learned that her need for perfection in her job came from wanting to prove she had earned a place at the academy and he had also learned about her past engagement, which had dissolved just before his arrival. In those moments, he learned more about her past, her character, and her motivations, than when they simply were having their constant wars with words.

Those moments, while rare, gave him a protective pang in his chest towards her. Based on what he learned, William was a complete arse and on the few occasions Seth ended up in the same vicinity as both he and TJ, something made him move closer to her, as though to guard Davenport from her ex. Part of him thought it was simply done to keep James Davenport's daughter away from the toxic man who'd scarred her badly, but another part of him had wondered why he cared so much to do so at all.

One evening, while at one of the Starcademy's insipid (his word), school functions that he was voluntold to make an appearance to, he chose to stand back in the corner, surveying the room at large. It was then he noticed the William approach TJ, and immediately saw her discomfort at being in his presence. Before knowing what was happening, Seth found himself by her side, eyeing down the biophysics teacher threateningly as he quietly asked TJ if the man was bothering her, then gently asked if she would like to dance. He remembered the grateful smile she shot him, taking his offered hand, and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor, away from her ex. They had silently danced, Seth keeping one eye on William to be sure he stayed far away, and one eye on the woman in his arms, that for the first time he noted caused his heart to race and his skin to tingle with electricity (though he didn't understand at the time why). For that little while, the Commander felt her body relax and finally got a glimpse of the hidden softness that laid beneath the brusque exterior the world saw. When the night ended, TJ accepted his offer to allow him to walk her back to her quarters and kindly thanked him for the dance and the rescue. After sharing a long lingering glance, where Seth nearly broke every STARDOG and Starcademy fraternization rule, TJ broke off her gaze and shyly retreated inside. Seth felt like a weight had been lifted between them, but he didn't register completely that his feelings were actually shifting toward her.

Whatever progress made was gone by the next morning. The mask of Assistant Principal had fallen back in place, ordering that he be in her office that morning to go over lesson plans, and making no mention of the dance they had shared. It was as though nothing had ever happened, leaving him confused and angry, and triggering a fight about protocol that left the pair not speaking to each other for a week. It wasn't until they had become friends on the Christa that TJ had finally confided that her actions had been a result of being confronted by the principal and accused of fraternizing inappropriately and displaying behavior unbecoming of an administrator. Despite protesting, her job had been threatened, leaving her what she felt was no choice but to retreat behind the icy, brusque exterior once more. From then on, any brief view of softening happened only when she was under extreme stress and in private only. Now that she was free from the Starcademy (well, sacked, but at least no longer obligated to the school), she had been able to become who Seth felt she was meant to be. He found James Davenport's statements regarding his daughter were right- TJ was more like her father than Seth had initially realized.

He smiled at TJ as they entered the Medlab to meet with Elmira, who now sat in a semi-reclined position and was able to speak easier. The adults were warned by Rosie that they may only have a few minutes before the Sirola drifted off again so they wasted no time attempting to get answers.

Elmira started by trying to explain how she'd ended up on the planet to begin with. "I managed to finally find a way to leave again. My ability to see isn't what it used to be but I can still get pieces of the future and I am able to contact others with some psionic abilities to warn them of dangers," she explained.

"That's how you've been able to warn Radu when the Spung are coming," Rosie realized.

The Sirola nodded and continued. "It took a long time but I did not want to be used as a weapon anymore," Elmira revealed. "My first goal was just to escape my father and the guards. When I finally did, I took control of a small transport vessel with a weapons system and snuck away while everyone slept. After that, I needed to find a race willing to remove the retrieval chip I have implanted in me. Without that chip, I have a better chance at keeping my freedom. I thought I had a chance with the Hutarans but someone told them who I was to the Empire and they became too afraid to help."

"How did it lead you here?" the Commander asked.

"A Spung cruiser happened upon my vessel while I was searching for someone else to assist me. I fired on them to give me time to get out of transporter range, which only angered them. The captain landed a shot on my starboard engine, disabling my systems and causing me to crash here. In order to guarantee they would not follow me, I set a self- destruct sequence for two minutes and ran to get clear but the blast still knocked me out. It's how I ended up with so many injuries."

"How long-?"

"One week ago," Elmira revealed.

"You had to know this would leave you stranded. How did you know that the other vessel wouldn't try to follow you to the surface? Or that you wouldn't be stranded longer?" Davenport queried lightly.

Elmira cocked her head slightly and considered her words. "It would not be the first time someone would have assumed me dead," she pointed out. "As for being stranded… I was able to see pieces of my destiny. I could see help would arrive eventually. And it did."

Goddard and Davenport hazarded a glance at each other, both regarding the girl cautiously. Both knew that the royal daughter of Warlord Shank had possessed the gift of "sight" and had proven on more than one occasion to be able to accurately see what the future held. It was why Shank held so tightly to her- he knew those talents could be used in battle to help spread the Empire, whether his daughter wanted to help or not. "You knew it would be us?" Goddard asked skeptically.

"I knew it would be friends," Elmira clarified vaguely.

Both adults glanced at one another again before Goddard spoke again. "We are certainly willing to get you off the planet, but your retrieval chip is obviously a cause for concern."

"Where exactly is it located?" Rosie asked her curiously.

"After birth, members of the royal family have them implanted into the back of the left shoulder. I don't believe it's hard to remove, but the danger lies in accidentally activating the chip as it is taken out. That's why I've had trouble finding anyone to help," Elmira explained. She was starting to show signs of weakening again and began to drift off. Moments later she was asleep, ending the conversation and leaving Rosie, Davenport, and Goddard with more questions than they had before.

"Rosie, do some research on removing Spung retrieval chips. See if Thelma has any additional information that might help," Goddard ordered quietly.

"Commander?" Davenport queried worriedly. "Are you considering that we should-?"

"I'm just weighing my options," he told her. "We might not have a choice." He looked grim as his features darkened slightly, his face reflecting the concern he had.

Rosie nodded her assent and excused herself, leaving the adults alone.

"Seth, what you're asking Rosie to do…" TJ paused as she tried to formulate what she wanted to say. She wasn't in the mood for a fight but if part of her job was to keep the students safe then her thoughts needed to be voiced.

Seth knew where TJ was going with her line of inquiry. "Do I have another choice?" he asked in return. "The students are right in saying Elmira has become a friend. We can't just leave her on this planet. But I can't let that chip become some sort of magnet for the Spung either."

"But-"

"I have to play the hand I'm dealt," Seth argued. He sighed, turning to face TJ and put his hands on both her arms gently. "I don't like this either, however, I need to consider all my options. We've been monitoring for the Spung all day and will continue to do so. Luckily, there's no sign of them so far. That means that for now, we at least have time to research our options."

"Did you consider that Rosie is not a surgeon?" TJ said softly. "She's still a child. Despite her medical prowess we shouldn't be expecting her to do this."

"Yes, TJ, I have," he ground out, a finality in his voice. Seth did not want a fight and chose to change the subject. "I'm heading to engineering to help Suzee and Bova. Stay here with Rosie, see what you can come up with. If anyone can find a solution, it's you."

"I suppose if I'm not part of the solution, I'm part of the problem," she stated lightly. It was an old favorite phrase of her father's, and had Seth not been a former student, he likely would have thought her flippant. Thankfully, Seth did not miss the reference.

"You sound like your dad," he told her. "He'd be so proud of you." With a soft smile and a kiss to her cheek, the Commander left her in the corridor, headed for engineering, and alone with her thoughts of what it meant to her that she was beginning to outwardly display more her father's teachings and wisdom.

Later that evening, after a long day of scanning the sector for Spung, gathering information from an injured Elmira, repairing engines, and researching retrieval chips, TJ and Seth were making only mediocre progress overall. On one hand, Suzee, with help from Bova, Thelma, and Goddard, had accomplished a tremendous amount on the engines and with some luck, they'd be able to get back into space in the morning, after the students got a decent night's rest. Harlan and Radu spent the day looking for the Spung on long range sensors, coming up with nothing in their current sector or in neighboring ones. That was the good news. The bad news was Elmira had begun speaking in riddles, sounding as though she was giving prophecies, but burning a fever at the same time, likely from infection caused by her injuries. Rosie had found medications to help, but those left the Sirola in and out of consciousness the remainder of the day. What opportunity to gather additional information they had hoped for was lost, other than trying to decipher cryptic, delirious pseudo-prophecies. As for removing retrieval chips- TJ had found very little available on the SpaceNet regarding the devices. Likely the Spung did not advertise much regarding how they tag their royalty like stray dogs but what little she could glean only repeated what Elmira had already stated. It frustrated Davenport to no end.

In their work, Rosie had taken the initiative to locate where the implant was in Elmira and its positioning in the back of the shoulder kept it away from any major blood vessels, arteries, or vital organs. The young Mercurian girl worked with Thelma to devise how to approach performing the procedure to remove the device, even without knowledge of how to do so without unintentionally activating it. Watching Thelma and Rosie work together to come up with a solution made her somewhat proud of the initiative and positive attitude of the young girl and android. However, it simultaneously made TJ uneasy and did nothing to ease her anxiety. Unfortunately, their actions were also necessary given the circumstances. As Seth had said earlier, they had to play the hand they were dealt, and that meant preparing for all eventualities.

Both adults had chosen to take a brief break together at 2100 hours after they each realized they had worked through both lunch and dinner, even as the students had been sent to get food. It gave them a chance to bounce ideas off each other after the trying day and do so away from the prying eyes and ears of the children.

"Coffee," TJ told him, setting a steaming mug in front of him. Seth set down the compupad he was working on and accepted the offered java gratefully.

"Thanks, Teej. I wonder if Rosie can just set me up with a coffee IV. I can just let it drip in slowly through the night," he mused aloud.

"Planning an all nighter?" TJ asked, a hint of sadness in her voice as she settled on the seat beside him.

"I'd rather not," he told her gently. "You know I'd much rather spend my night with you. But Suzee has this idea that she can set us up for the ability to make a single extended hyperjump. We'd need to shore up our inertial dampeners and the protomix master but if it's all done right, we might be able to shave a couple years off our trip home, and not do any significant damage to the ship in the process." Seth looked slightly uneasy as he revealed this to her.

"But?"

"I'm torn. Part of me thinks it could be an opportunity to get the kids home sooner to see their families, you and I could start our lives over somewhere quiet together…" he drifted off with a smile, glancing over at TJ, who had blushed a deep shade of red, noting again that he seemed to be thinking of a future that included them both together. "But then I remember that a court martial awaits me, unemployment for you… and I wonder if I even want to face that at all. Knowing that, why would I want to give up the life we've made for ourselves here? Does that make me selfish?"

"Perhaps," she conceded. "Would it make me equally awful to say I've thought the same?" TJ admitted. Which she had. She and the Commander had forged a life for themselves- albeit under unorthodox circumstances- where there were able to devote time to each other without the pressure of their families, colleagues, and friends at home. There was a level of freedom she felt in being able to express what she wanted with no outside interference. Facing being home sooner than expected was suddenly scary, the polar opposite of how she'd felt when their whole saga began.

Seth reached over to squeeze her hand tightly, reassuringly, to convey his agreement with her. After a moment, he let go, changing the subject. "How have things been in the Medlab?"

"Elmira is quite ill," she shared with him. "She has been drifting in and out of delirium all afternoon. Rosie has handled her beautifully and finally has her resting more comfortably but we had a difficult few hours."

"What about the chip?" the Commander pressed further.

"Thelma and Rosie were able to locate it in Elmira. They're still studying how it could be removed if it comes down to them having to do it." TJ sipped her tea gingerly before adding, "I watched Rosie practicing how to cut open and suture wounds today on a gel dummy, meant to emulate a person. Can I just share how disturbing I found that?"

"I kind of admire her initiative and willingness," the Commander said. "Rosie is certainly capable. She's stitched each of us up at least once. I'm not saying performing a more complicated surgical procedure is exactly the same, but she does have the desire to learn."

"That thought also crossed my mind. She's playing the hand we were dealt," she said carefully, parroting back his words from earlier. "We all are." TJ paused before adding, "I believe Rosie is willing to remove the chip. She mentioned something today about wanting to do this for Elmira after all she's done to help us."

"That's our Rosie. Upbeat and always willing to help." His voice held a small bit of pride as he said this, clearly pleased with their student.

"As long as we can still get her and the others home in one piece," she reminded him gently, but firmly. "That's our primary responsibility."

Seth nodded, taking hold of her hand again and squeezing gently. "Us too," he added softly. "Regardless of what happens-"

"We face it together," TJ finished, squeezing his hand back.

After a few moments of silence, the pair staring quietly at each other and envisioning their future, Seth moved to get up. "I should really get back to work," he told her, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice.

"I'll get back to Rosie. Perhaps she and Thelma have some more ideas. Let me know when you're done. Maybe we can both get some rest later." She raised an eyebrow and let a small smirk spread across her features as she glided past him towards the door.

"Sleep my ass," Seth muttered as she left, a matching smirk on his face. Casting a last glance in her direction, he hurried back to engineering with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency. With any luck, he'd get a few hours with her later to show her exactly what he thought of the plan to "rest."


	8. Chapter 8

Elmira was awake when Davenport returned to the Medlab, slowly sipping from a glass of water as Rosie checked her vital signs. It was a vast improvement from earlier in the afternoon when she was moaning in pain, feverish, and spouting nonsense in her delirium. "How is our patient?" Davenport asked Rosie, seeking confirmation for what she was observing.

"Better," Rosie chirped. "It'll take some time for her injuries to heal, but I think she's through the worst of it."

"Excellent." Turning to the young Spung girl, Davenport asked, "And how do you feel?"

"Better," she said, repeating Rosie. "Rosie has become a fine doctor since the last time we met."

"That she has," Davenport stated proudly.

Rosie face went from it's normal deep pink to a deeper red as she blushed from the compliment. "Thank you," she said humbly. "I couldn't have done it without Commander Goddard and Miss Davenport's encouragement."

"Well," Davenport said lightly, trying, but failing to hide a smile at the mention of her influence. After a moment, she attempted to change the subject. "Elmira, has Rosie spoken to you at all about what we have been doing while you were asleep?"

"You've been attempting to find a way to remove my chip," Elmira said matter-of-factly. "Commander Goddard asked you all to."

Davenport cocked her head to the side and nodded. "Yes."

Elmira regarded her with a head tilt. "You are worried that Rosie might have to take it out. That my chip could endanger us all. You are afraid…" the Sirola trailed off. "Commander Goddard is not wrong, Miss Davenport. He must do what he feels is best for the crew. And for you."

"Pardon-"

"I do not know a lot about human mating customs-"

"I beg your-" Davenport interjected hotly, but Elmira continued, cutting her off.

"But I do know Commander Goddard has noble intentions regarding you. The whole crew, really, but especially you. He loves you. Wants to spend the rest of his life with you and will do what he feels necessary to ensure that happens. That is something very rare among my people. It is quite… beautiful."

Davenport blushed a deep red, nearly as dark as Rosie. She had certainly suspected Seth felt that way but hearing it spoken by Elmira was surprising. Glancing at Rosie, whose face had darkened to an even deeper shade, likely due to having overheard Elmira discuss her teachers and "mating customs" in the same sentence, Davenport, carefully addressed Elmira. "The Commander and I are quite close, yes," she conceded softly. "We try to keep our personal lives separate from our work though. It is not easy, but we feel it's for the best of the crew." Pausing for a moment, she considered something else Elmira had said in her wording and then continued with a shy smile, "And just for your understanding… Generally speaking, humans as a species usually don't refer to relationships as engaging in 'mating.'" The last part she tacked on with air quotes around the final word and a deeper blush.

"I apologize," Elmira said sincerely. "I am unaccustomed to how males and females of your race interrelate to one another. It is very different than that of my race." She paused and seemed to zone out for a few moments, leaving Davenport and Rosie slightly worried before Elmira spoke again. "I look forward to you teaching me some of those things," she said, looking to Miss Davenport as she stated this.

"I'll keep that in mind," Davenport told her softly, somewhat surprised by Elmira's declaration. It was almost as though the girl expected to be with them for a long while. Contemplating the dangers of that prospect would be something she wanted to talk out with the Commander though. Instead of addressing that possibility directly at that moment, she chose to deflect and change the subject. "Perhaps you should settle in for the night," she suggested gently. "It's been a long day for us all. We can talk more in the morning."

"Miss Davenport, what do you think of rings?" Elmira interjected suddenly.

TJ's breath caught in her throat. "Rings?" she whispered. Where did the girl get that thought? "What do you mean?"

"I've been seeing rings all day. And colors. Many colors. Some sort of celebration- of life? Everyone seems happy about these things, but there is a sadness that comes with it. It all seems to go together." Elmira looked tired then, as though revealing that information had taken a lot out of her.

Davenport tried to piece these thoughts together but wasn't coming up with how the dots were all connected. Not sure whether Elmira was speaking riddles again or if there was a genuine prophecy embedded in the words, TJ gently told the girl they would speak more in the morning, then suggested Rosie get some rest as well.

"In a few minutes Miss Davenport," Rosie said. Once she was sure Elmira received another round of medications before falling asleep, the young Mercurian girl turned to her teacher. "What do you think she meant by all that?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Davenport told her. "Rings certainly have a significance in my culture, but the other things don't seem to line up. I don't understand…" Was Elmira suggesting that Seth might be planning a proposal? Or was there some other meaning embedded in her words? She shook her head, too tired to even process the information.

"You'll figure it out," Rosie said reassuringly, still sounding upbeat even as the girl let out a yawn. "Good night, Miss Davenport." Giving a tiny wave to her teacher, the Mercurian girl shuffled down the corridor back to her quarters. She watched Rosie round the corner then made the way back to her own quarters.

Elmira's words left TJ confused and needing to work everything out. She needed Seth. He was her sounding board for any and all puzzles or quandaries she came across or found herself in and together they were nearly always able to come to solutions. There were rare occasions at the academy he had helped her work through some problems that made their way across her desk. Then, his help usually came unsolicited when he would show up in her doorway for a meeting or to drop off paperwork of some kind. Now, he was the first person she turned to.

It had begun one evening when Seth had come to see her in the office, several weeks after the dance that had nearly derailed whatever tolerance they had built for one another. They hadn't spoken for a week following the event due to a verbal blowup Davenport would admit she instigated. She couldn't let him ask about their dance the night before, and certainly wasn't going to divulge the accusations of fraternization and inappropriate professional behavior that had been leveled against them both by the principal. TJ took the heat to deflect the blame from Seth (it was to protect him, but she didn't understand that at the time), but didn't tell him that was the reason until years later, after being aboard the Christa and settling into their friendship. So while the night before when the Commander had danced with her, held her, and walked her back to her quarters, TJ had felt light and nearly threw out all her carefully compartmentalized feelings towards romance (for the briefest moment, she thought perhaps he might kiss her), until she forced herself to retreat into her quarters, the next morning found her lashing out and pushing him away. Seth was hurt- the look of confusion and anger in his eyes gave away that she had hurt him but TJ felt she had to in order to keep her job so she could continue working with him. Worse, he had fought back hard enough that they ended up not speaking to one another. Once he left, TJ shut herself in her office and cried until there were no tears left. She wondered then why she cared so much about the fight, making her feel as though she'd created a twisted, tangled mess.

When they finally did start speaking again, their interactions were strained at best. That evening weeks later was the first time he had approached her privately since. Davenport was hunched over her desk, frowning at a Compupad, when she heard the chime to her office door. Upon letting the guest enter, she looked up to see Commander Goddard standing in her door frame. "Still working?" he asked lightly. With a sheepish smile, she turned the Compupad so he could see a brain teaser puzzle on the screen. His eyebrows shot straight up in amusement and he struggled and failed to suppress a chuckle. "Who would have thought the great and focused TJ Davenport gets distracted sometimes too," he said only half seriously.

She gaped at him, speechless, before regaining her composure and retorting, "I'll have you know Commander, my work is already complete for the night. Unlike some other people I know-"

"Relax, TJ, it was a joke," Seth told her. He smirked at realizing how easy it had been to wind her up.

"Oh." She deflated slightly, ready for another verbal barrage, but was pleasantly surprised when he leaned over and gently took the Compupad from her hands, and considered what was on the screen before entering some information and handing it back to her. Looking at the screen, she saw he had solved her puzzle- in no time at all- leaving her gaping in shock. "How-?"

"I've seen those 3x3 magic square puzzles before," the Commander shrugged, as though it were no big deal.

"Well…" TJ was slightly annoyed that he'd come to that solution so quickly, but had no answer for him so chose to change the subject. "Is there something I can do for you, Commander?" Her voice came out somewhat clipped, revealing her annoyance at being shown up, even if it was unintentional.

The Commander, if he'd caught her tone, didn't show it. "My lesson plans," he said, handing her a different Compupad. "For next week. You said earlier you wanted them. I suppose my work is also complete for the night." His face contained a wry smile at the end of what he told her.

"Oh," she said again, her voice softening. She deflated slightly, expecting him to rise to the bait, but instead matched her words perfectly, and even looked a bit smug.

"You need a break." It was a statement, not a question.

"I thought I was taking one. Up until you solved my puzzle for me," she shot back. There was no malice in her voice now; in fact, a small smirk had crept onto her face as she glanced up at him.

"I mean a real break," he insisted. "We could sit and solve puzzles all night or you could actually get out of the office and do something not work related."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, not missing his use of the pronoun "we" in the offer as she asked, "Are you suggesting we do something together?"

"I'm suggesting you get out of this room," Seth clarified, trying not to sputter. He was caught a bit off guard by her suggestion, but he couldn't argue the logic of how she had arrived at that point. Part of him almost wanted to say _yes, let's go dancing again but this time I'll kiss you senseless like I should have done last time, protocol, rules, and professionalism be damned. And show that asshat William how a lady should be treated- wait, where did that come from?_ The more rational side of him fought his thoughts back. She had already made it clear that she wasn't interested. Choosing to take middle ground so they would at least remain on speaking terms, he said, "What you choose to do with that time is up to you." Turning to leave, he told her, "Good night, Miss Davenport."

TJ didn't want him to leave yet, and his throwaway statement to solving puzzles all night gave her an idea. She blurted out the only thing she could think of to make him stay. "Commander, my dad told me you are quite good at finding solutions to difficult problems."

Seth paused, not entirely sure where she was heading with this line of questioning, and turned towards her. "I never thought of it, but I suppose," he answered carefully.

"I do have one thing I need to finish- truthfully I was putting it off until tomorrow, but with your experience fighting in the war, I think I might like your opinion- off the record of course- with a quandary I have."

Seth strode back and sat across from her. He was curious. "All right. What is it?"

They had spent the remainder of the evening debating the pros and cons of her problem, which was the start of a long tradition of problem-solving sessions (the vast majority of which had taken place on the Christa), usually in private, and looking back on it, full of challenges and flirtations between the two. Of late, with them entering a relationship on their own terms, the early flirtations had evolved into very satisfying physical expressions of affection, that seemed only to strengthen their ability to work together. She could only imagine Seth's reaction to discovering that her latest puzzle to solve contained mention of rings.

Marriage wasn't a subject they had explicitly discussed, although on more than one occasion Seth had referred to them in future terms, indicating that perhaps it had crossed his mind. She wasn't against the idea and despite being hurt in the past by William, actually was excited at the idea Seth might ask her to marry him. She was more than ready to move on from her past and plan for what their future held. Furthermore, having something positive to plan for would take her mind off what they faced upon returning home. Davenport shook the thoughts from her head, instead focusing on Elmira's combined choice of words and how they might affect the crew.

TJ didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but Seth gently shook her awake several hours later, hunched over the desk in her quarters, on top of some scribbled notes and sketches she'd made of Elmira's words. "Teej? You okay?" he asked gently. He knelt in front of her, concern evident across his features as she groggily sat up.

"What happened?" she asked as she yawned and stretched, rolling her neck from side to side to loosen the muscles which had tensed from the position she'd slept in.

"You fell asleep at your desk," he said gently. "Must be something big for the mess you have here." He indicated the scatter of plastic readouts, sketches, and other items scattered across her desk. Leaving her desk cluttered was something ultra-organized Davenport avoided, so finding her asleep amongst what she would consider chaos was worrying. He picked up one of the sketches and eyed it. "What-?"

"Elmira," TJ said simply. "She started discussing some sort of prediction and I was trying to figure out how it all goes together."

The Commander studied her notes and drawings for a moment trying to make sense of it. She had certain words written out which didn't seem to go together. "Another puzzle for us to figure out?" he said lightly. His eyes danced with interest.

Davenport smiled up at him. "If you're so inclined." A smirk spread across her face as she added, "Or solve for me."

A matching smirk crossed his own features as he turned to the notes. He raised his eyebrows at the word "rings," but rather than comment, he tried to find some connection with all the other words first. "How did all this get revealed?"

"She asked what I thought of rings," TJ told him shyly. "That's where it started. Then she discussed seeing colors, celebrations of life and then sadness- from all of us. All of it is apparently connected but I can't figure out how." She stood beside him and leaned close, pointing to where she tried connecting the dots. "Is it possible this points to one singular event or many events?"

"Not sure," he mumbled. The word rings stood out to him, as he was certain it had for TJ. Glancing at her left hand, pointing to the words on her notes, he felt a pang in his heart, knowing the pain she had gone through the last time a ring had been on that hand and suddenly feeling that he needed to be the one whose ring was placed there. Granted, by conventional standards they hadn't been together long, but if he were being perfectly honest, the closeness they shared had been established long before defining their relationship. He knew now there had been a spark right from the beginning, even if it had taken years for them both to admit to each other what they felt. At some point he wanted to propose, get married, start a family, and settle down with her. That idea would have had him turning tail and running scared at the start of his career. Now, he couldn't picture his future any other way. While he originally thought they would have to wait until home to do those things, Elmira's prediction certainly gave him pause. There was one thing that wasn't making sense though. "Colors… rings…" he said quietly, trying to add things up. "Celebrating…"

"Seth?"

He shook his head, his face weary and tired, and sighed loudly. "I'm not seeing it Teej," he admitted. "Not right now at least."

"Same here," she told him, letting out a sigh of her own. "What time is it?"

"0200. I told the kids to get some sleep. The engine upgrades are done. I told them I want to get off the ground by 0900."

TJ snuggled into his side as he wrapped his arms around her, holding tightly as he rested his head on top of hers. "Perhaps we should be taking that advice and doing the same," she told him, although her tone certainly suggested sleep was not on her mind.

This was what Seth needed. Holding her was what calmed him, grounded him, and helped him think more clearly. "Beautiful angel," he whispered as he felt her arms encircle him. "What would I do without you?"

"Get into all sorts of trouble," she said cheekily, a smirk spread across her features. TJ turned in his arms so she was facing him, her arms around his shoulders and eyes looking directly into his.

"Which is why I have you. You are the voice of reason around here," he conceded with a laugh. "Even if sometimes you're a killjoy."

"If that means you don't get yourself killed, then I accept that," she retorted.

He smiled and softened. "I couldn't do any of this without you. You know that, right?" His hand came up to her face, his thumb rubbing her cheek as he looked into her eyes, desperately trying to convey his sincerity.

"I'd be lost without you," she admitted in a whisper, staring back into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you." He pulled her closer and captured her lips, feeling her immediate response to him.

"Stay," she whispered between kisses.

That one word set his body ablaze, holding tighter to her, and forgetting his fatigue as her lean frame molded to his. "Always," he breathed before forgetting everything except for the beautiful, sensual woman in his arms and giving himself over completely.


	9. Chapter 9

By 0800 the adults entered the Command Post, standing close to each other and watching the students buzz around the room, making final adjustments to the engines before they could take off. Bova was monitoring long range scanners, trying to be sure no Spung were in their sector so they may safely get into the air. Suzee was doing a final systems check with Harlan, who was simultaneously checking the helm to be sure systems were communicating with engineering. Rosie and Radu were in the Medlab, checking on Elmira, who had awoken early in the morning and needed her medication. The Commander smiled as he remembered the Andromedan's insistence on going with Rosie. He knew the young navigator and the Sirola had a close bond and Radu was the one who had found Elmira in the first place. They were quite the unlikely pair and yet, somehow worked. Seth wasn't sure what course their friendship would take but he suspected it was something they would all be learning more of.

Seth heard Harlan call for him and excused himself from TJ, putting himself in duty mode and inspecting the work done by the crew. She stood back and watched them for a few minutes, impressed with the way everyone seemed to work easily together, a notable change from the start of their journey. Once they returned home, she had every intention of informing anyone at STARDOG Command willing to listen how capable and prepared their misfit "space cases" were to take on the challenges of space itself- both the students and their Commander. Hell, Seth deserves a promotion after this, she thought. Whether they were willing to listen to the report of a fired administrator was entirely another matter but if there was one thing she was rather tenacious about, it was getting someone in command to hear her views on a subject. She met Seth's eyes as he briefly glanced over at her, and gave him a small smile and nod to acknowledge him. It felt like an entire conversation was conveyed in that single glance, a testament to their bond and who they had become together. He gave her a wide smile in return, one that reached his crystal blue eyes and made her feel, for the briefest second, like she was the only person in the room. Then he returned his focus to the helm.

Things were shifting between them again, somehow making Seth feel even more connected to TJ than they already were. They spent the night before wrapped up in each other, and that morning had woken up together, smiling as though they were the only two people in the universe, rather than the ranking officers of a starship. After reluctantly getting up, and preparing for the day, they made their way to the students and immediately shifted their focus to their work, as they did daily. Maybe it was the mention of rings, maybe the mention of perhaps getting home sooner, but something was further changing between them for the better and the Commander was looking forward to what their path led to. It amazed him- still- that every day with her made him want to be a better man, a man she deserved. No one- not his parents, his siblings (even his favorite, Callie), his teachers, commanding officers- not one of them challenged him the same way TJ did. For the first time in his life, he felt like he'd met his match and he was excited to see where this adventure would take them.

When TJ had revealed the puzzle she was trying to work out last night, he paused as she showed him the notes, sketches of rings, and the words that made up Elmira's prediction. The obvious answer made him think he was going to propose, which he desperately wanted to do, but he was also painfully aware of her past. William had initially left her broken and unsure of her ability to maintain any sort of romance- although TJ had admitted that she'd long since gotten over him. The other thing holding him back was a sense of responsibility to do what he felt was the right thing- ask her father's blessing before he did.

A conversation he'd had with her father years ago played itself over in his head as he considered this. Seth had called his mentor one night, soon after an evening with TJ, spent helping her through an issue that had come across her desk. They had spent hours debating the pros and cons, pushing each other's buttons, laughing, and, he was fairly certain, flirting, as well. It was on her insistence that he help her, and in the end, was glad to assist her. Something soft and kind was buried under her icy exterior and in those rare moments he saw past the outer layers, Seth found that he rather liked the person underneath.

It was during the conversation with James that it was revealed William had just gotten engaged again- to the woman he'd cheated on TJ with- and Miss Davenport had witnessed the whole display. Seth remembered being furious upon discovering this, piquing James' curiosity as to why the Commander cared so much, but permitted his former student to express his thoughts on the matter. "William proposed in front of TJ? Of all the places he could have… this wasn't about Vicky, it was about tearing TJ down again! He is such an ass!" Manically pacing back and forth across the living space of his quarters, he came to a realization and turned back towards the vidscreen. "And with all due respect, you allowed that man to propose to her in the first place!" Seth pointed rudely towards his former teacher, an accusatory look in his eye, standing down only when James shook his head.

"You act as though I had some say in the matter," James said sadly. "Truth is, William never spoke to me before proposing to my daughter. By the time I found out, TJ and her mum were so excited that I didn't have the heart to express my reservations."

"So she went on thinking you were okay with…"

"The wedding? The proposal? William himself? All of that? One of my bigger regrets, yes." The older man hung his head, visibly upset by his admission.

"He should have spoken to you first," Seth insisted. "That would have been the right thing to do. The honorable thing." More softly, he added, "I would have."

"Not all men think that way anymore, my boy," James told him, choosing to ignore the implications of his words in relation to his daughter. "If that in fact is how you feel, then you're part of a dying breed." He paused before adding, "Any father would be proud to have you as a son-in-law."

Seth hung his head ruefully. He wasn't entirely sure if James was referring to his daughter specifically or making a general statement, but he had to stay neutral on the topic. "No one wants a broken man, sir. I've made enough of a mess of my life. I can't expect that anyone would want to allow their daughter to be burdened with my baggage."

"That is the last time I expect to hear those words from your mouth, Commander," James chastised sharply. "The mark of a man is not the one who lets himself be beaten down and stay there. It's the man who can accept responsibility for his actions, learn from them, and build himself back up stronger than before. If a person doesn't accept you that way, then they don't deserve you in the first place."

Goddard straightened up on hearing that and nodded. James' words had a sobering effect on him. "I'll make you proud, sir."

"You don't need to make me proud, Seth. I already am."

Seth hoped that the years he had spent on the Christa had helped him grow enough that James would accept him as family once they returned home. It was one thing to ask advice from his mentor. It was entirely another to ask him permission to marry his daughter. Based on his previous conversation with him, he had hope, but that was before Seth and TJ had ended up whisked away on this adventure together. Who knew what Mr. Davenport had thought of his old student disappearing into the unknown with his beloved daughter. It certainly made for a complicated scenario.

Suzee's voice calling from the engineering console broke him from his thoughts. "I'm going to make a last adjustment in engineering and then we should be all set," she told him. He watched the young engineering prodigy leave, hearing her make comments to Catalina as she went. For a moment, he found that odd, being the Suzee rarely spoke to Cat openly, at least not as Catalina once did with Suzee, but shrugged, and turned back to Harlan. It was TJ who whitened immediately, seeming to realize something, and excused herself to run after Suzee.

"Teej?" he asked softly, forgetting where he was for a moment, more worried about her sudden departure than the normal protocol they both followed while on duty. It didn't matter. She was already gone.

"What was that about?" Harlan asked.

The Commander shook his head. "I'm not sure." Torn between chasing after her and remaining on the bridge until they were off the ground, he chose the latter, at least temporarily. The Christa needed to get back into space and it required all hands together. Once they had accomplished that, he'd find out what spooked Miss Davenport. Remember your training, he reminded himself. Mission first. Personal feelings can't get in the way of that. "Suzee, almost ready?" he asked through shipboard communications.

Receiving an affirmative from the Yensidian girl, he instructed Harlan to fire up the engines, smiling as they came to life. For all the years he had spent in space over the course of his career, this would never get old. "Radu?" the Commander called. "Report to the Command-" The Andromedan appeared before he could finish the sentence.

"I heard the engines," Radu explained upon seeing Goddard's look of disbelief that he'd arrived so quickly.

"Of course you did," Harlan said under his breath, rolling his eyes in the process.

"I heard that too," Radu shot back.

"Gentlemen," Goddard warned. "Plot a course." He took his place behind Harlan at the helm amd held on as the two students initiated the take off sequence. Smooth so far, he noted. "Bova, anything on long range sensors?"

"Not right now," Bova said. "Who knows how long it'll stay that way."

Goddard ignored the last part. Entertaining potential glum predictions from the Uranusian wasn't high on his list of things to handle. "Commander?" Suzee's voice called.

Goddard sighed. Saved by the engineer. "Yes?"

"Could you come down to engineering? I have some things I'd like to run past you."

He nodded and, after giving the three students orders to maintain course, coded the jumptubes to engineering.

TJ had run straight back to her quarters after hearing Suzee begin talking to Catalina. Something clicked into place on the puzzle she and Seth had been contemplating. Grabbing her notes from the night before, she started connecting dots, and referencing calendars, supplies, their current location in space, and some research on the SpaceNet. As she dug deeper and began putting everything together, she became more and more unsettled. Davenport did not feel comfortable with where her conclusions were pointing to- she needed to find Seth. Not until she had everything organized though. She needed proof. Evidence. Something that sounded coherent and not crazy. Most importantly, she needed to get to him before Suzee tried to carry out what she feared was going to happen.

After two hours putting together her findings, she finally felt confident enough in the information she had, and saved her findings on her Compupad, being careful enough to back them up in another location before finding Seth. "Thelma?" Miss Davenport called.

"Yes, Miss Davenport," Thelma said instantly, appearing to the right of the women and nearly scaring her senseless.

 _I'll never understand how she does that_ , TJ thought. Outwardly, she took a deep breath inward at being surprised yet again by the sudden appearance of the android and asked, "Where is Commander Goddard?"

Thelma took a moment to process her question, taking a moment to scan the ship before responding. "He is in engineering. Shall I have him come here?"

"No, Thelma. I'll go there. Thank you." Grabbing her Compupad, she ran for the jumptubes and prayed she wasn't too late.

"Okay, Bova, give me a strong jolt, right here," the Commander instructed, nodding between the two wires in his hands. The Uranusian had joined he and Suzee in engineering an hour ago to help fuse some final connections and they were nearly done with everything that needed doing.

TJ entered the engine room, watching the trio working together, suddenly feeling nervous about what she had discovered, but knowing that it needed to be addressed. Immediately. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she moved forward with what she needed to do. "Commander, could I speak to you for a moment?" she asked as she stepped into the space to make her presence known.

"Could it wait a little bit, Miss Davenport?" he asked distractedly. Seth was elbow deep in connecting the newly fused wires back to the relay panel so they could finish their work and return to the bridge.

"No, it can't," she stated firmly. Turning to Bova, she told him, "Mr. Bova, I need you to return to the bridge. Scan sectors thirty-seven through forty for any sort of anomalies and report back if you find anything."

"Sure," he said with a shrug. "Any specific kind?"

"Belay that, Bova. Miss Davenport, what is this about?" Goddard asked pointedly. It wasn't like TJ to come in and start handing out orders. He wanted context before he allowed her order to be carried out.

Handing over the Compupad she had brought with her, TJ said grimly, "I believe I solved our puzzle from last night."

Goddard scanned the notes, feeling his heart drop as he read further through. "Bova, go up to the Command Post. Do exactly as Miss Davenport instructed. Tell Harlan to be ready to jump to hyperspace if I give the order." His face mirrored Miss Davenport's grim look.

Bova left, muttering something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like, "Weird humans, can't make up their minds," before disappearing into the jumptubes and leaving the adults alone with Suzee.

"How long have you been speaking with Catalina?" TJ asked Suzee as soon as Bova was gone.

The Yensidian girl's face briefly showed surprise, but quickly covered it up. "I don't know. I was five, six years old maybe," Suzee told her, trying to sound flippant, but ended up sounding more like she was trying to dodge a bigger question.

"I meant more recently. You spoke to her openly this morning. I haven't heard you do that since you came on board. Why the sudden change?" Davenport pressed.

"Why are you suddenly so interested?" Suzee shot back. "You always hated when she spoke to me so openly when she was here. How many times did you call me 'imaginary?'"

"Not what I was getting at." TJ paused and had to agree with Suzee on that point. She had routinely given grief to Catalina about Suzee. But that was before… Davenport tried a different direction to try to make her point. "I spent a great deal of time with Elmira yesterday. She told me some rather interesting things."

Goddard was still reading Davenport's findings as she pressed on. "She was trying to make predictions on what would happen. Made this rambling to do about rings and colors and celebrations. But also a great sadness. It made no sense. For a little while I thought she was discussing the Commander and I- rings have a very special significance in our culture-"

"Yeah, I've read," Suzee spat out. "You made the whole thing about you and the Commander's relationship."

"No!" TJ backpedaled. "I just wasn't making the right connection, I'll admit to that. When you started talking to Catalina I saw things more clearly. Her people are from the moons of Saturn- Titan specifically- and that planet has beautiful rings. Her hair is ringed in colors and after checking against the standard calendar this week- this very week- is the Rejoicing Festival her people celebrate. It celebrates their being alive."

"How does this affect me-"

"The repairs you've been working on, trying to set us up for a lengthy jump, it's all well and nice, to want to get us all home sooner, but I can't help wondering if you really intend to join us."

"TJ?" Seth asked, dropping the formality. Even he was wondering where she was going with the line of questioning.

"Page 10," she told him simply, letting him scroll through the information as she went on.

"How much did you put in here?" he wondered aloud.

"I was being thorough. I thought you might appreciate that." Turning back to Suzee, she continued on the Yensidian engineer. "You want to go home just as much as we do so I wondered if all this talk of shoring up things on the engines were to get us home... or you." TJ looked accusatory.

"You don't even want to go home!" Suzee yelled at them. "Neither of you. I heard you both last night when I passed by the galley. Knowing what both of you are facing, why would you want to go home? Isn't that what you said, Commander?" Suzee had tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she revealed what she overheard. Both adults were stunned in silence. She was right. They had talked about that. It was meant to be something private between them though, not for the students to hear.

Goddard recovered first. "That was taken out of context. We made a promise to ourselves, to the Admiral, each other, that our primary responsibility was to get all of you home. We still feel that way."

"Regardless of what happens to the pair of us, whatever consequences we face, getting all of you home is the priority," Davenport added softly.

"Everyone else sure. But what about me? And Cat? We're not where we should be. I don't want to blow up the ship to get us both back where we belong. I had to find another way to open our barrier to our worlds," Suzee said tearily.

"Which is why you got your hands on a transdistatial intermolecular dimensional polarity reversal device. Convenient that the Elydians had one handy when we arrived." Davenport said quietly. "Isn't that the method you used to save Catalina in the first place? Except instead of needing the ship to explode, you can tap into a power source- like our protomixer- activate the device and open the barrier between dimensions to swap the pair of you back where you belong." When the Commander shot her a questioning look she clarified as she continued on with Suzee. "I went back into the list of items you requested when the Commander was first deciding whether to stop there. Tucked right into the center of the list of relays and couplings was that little item."

Seth was agape at the relative bomb that TJ had just dropped. That was a lot of information to drop at once. "What?" the Commander stated in disbelief. How had he missed that? At the time he hadn't entirely understood what it was. _Hold on._ "Wait, how did you find that list? That was saved on-"

"Your Compupad? Yes."

"You hacked into my Compupad?"

"It's not hacking if I know your password," TJ retorted sweetly.

He made to answer back but realized he had no answer for that. Choosing to remain focused on the more pressing topic, he squirreled away the information on TJ knowing his password for another time. "What is the purpose of the device?" he asked, trying to remain calm.

"Used in conjunction with a large power source, I could open up a controlled barrier between the two dimensions, and safely switch Catalina and I back. I'd get to go home, Cat would be back with you and depending on the ensuing power surge, it could be channeled through the ship's systems to maintain a lengthy jump through hyperspace," Suzee explained.

"So you've been planning this a long time," Goddard asked directly. "Did you ever plan on telling us? Or were you waiting for Miss Davenport to figure it out? Or on Elmira to give us a hint? Or on just leaving without saying goodbye or thank you. I let you be a part of this crew with no qualms at all because it's what Cat would have wanted and this…" Goddard trailed off, fighting back the anger building in him. His eyes had darkened to a stormy cobalt, barely pent up rage bubbling just below the surface. As a Commander, a Captain even, he had seen a lot and dealt with even more, but one thing he never tolerated was secrecy from his crew. "A team is forthcoming and honest, he said in a low, foreboding voice. "You should have run this past us before even starting."

"Why? So it could be shot down before I could try? Some plan."

"You lied!" he yelled harshly.

"No! I may have omitted some details but I never lied. We will have the capacity to make a lengthy hyperjump with the changes I made. I just never said that it would provide the power, on theory, for me to draw on in order to temporarily open a barrier between my dimension and the Christa to bring Cat back and send me home." Suzee was nearly out of breath as she revealed the plan.

"So you lied by omission." His voice sounded calmer but the tension and anger could be felt as he spoke.

"What is in sectors thirty-seven through forty?" he pressed on. Suzee refused to answer, her own anger building.

"Partially Spung territory. They control sectors 37 and 38. And also a singularity- possibly some sort of wormhole," TJ answered for him. "Controlled by the Benarians in sectors 39 and 40. I am not certain its stability, but the possibility of being unintentionally pulled into it and starting a feud with an alien race is very real."

"Wonderful," the Commander said dryly. The last thing he needed was another mark like that on his record. It would only give fuel to STARDOG Command at his likely trial. "Did you consider the possible implications of your actions?" he asked Suzee harshly. Her silence answered the question for him. Turning to TJ be asked, "Is there any way around this region if space?"

"Define 'around.'"

"How about can we avoid Spung territory?"

"With the engine modifications, I've been able to increase the potential energy in the crystal by a factor of-" Suzee began but was cut off by Goddard.

"Suzee, you're confined to quarters until further notice," he ordered sharply, turning his attention to her briefly.

"What?! That's not fair-"

"While you are on this ship, you function as part this team," he barked out. "Not up for negotiation. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." She narrowed her eyes at both, shooting daggers from them as she stormed out of the engine room, leaving an air of tension in the room.

Once the doors whooshed closed, Seth turned to TJ, who looked at him in concern. Sighing heavily, his voice registered the tenseness he felt. "Was I wrong?" he asked.

"No," she said softly. "You did what you felt needed to be done."

"I should've seen what was on that damned list. How did I miss that?" Seth was running his fingers through his regulation cut hair, a nervous tick he had when upset.

"Stop," she said firmly. "I didn't see it at first either. Remember? I read over everything that night with you. It wasn't until today I put it together."

"My job is to see all the facts, every scenario, do what I have to in order for the crew to be safe. And worse, I've been helping her carry it all out. What does that make me?"

"A man who genuinely wants his students to get home safely. A commander who had faith in his crew to do the right thing," TJ offered softly. "There is no fault in that, Seth."

"But what she did-"

"Was wrong. Suzee should have told us her plan. Especially the risks associated with her plan. Her theories are quite good, but they are completely untested and risky. Her arrogance certainly took over there. But, I don't believe Suzee means harm to us either. Just like all of us, she deserves to go home- to her own home."

Seth sighed. "She overheard us last night. That was sloppy on our part-"

"That is the last time I expect those words out of your mouth," she said harshly, a glare crossing her features reminiscent of her father's trademark expression. "You will stop that line of reasoning right now. We are two adults who were engaging in a private conversation. She eavesdropped and made assumptions without all the information. We can hardly be held responsible for her opinions- which were born from her own activities to begin with."

Seth allowed her the diatribe as he marveled at how much TJ had channeled her father in that moment. It was uncanny. "You are your father's daughter," he marveled to her.

TJ looked confused as she asked why that was.

"He once said something exactly like that to me. Identical look on his face too." He broke out in a wide grin, the cute one TJ found hard to resist.

"I'm far better looking though, I hope," she responded cheekily.

"Infinitely," he chuckled, pulling her in tightly to hold her for a moment before releasing her, and guiding them out of engineering. _Beautiful, stunning, perfect. The minute we are in range to contact home, your dad and I are going to have a long conversation about you- us,_ he thought. Seth didn't know where that thought came from, but he realized it was one hundred percent truthful. He shot her a wide grin before sobering and changing the subject. "So what do we do about Suzee?"

"Let her cool off for a while, as it were. I can go speak to her in a little bit once she's had a chance to settle down," she offered. TJ wasn't mad at the girl, just unsettled that she was willing to risk the crew's safety with a device that hadn't been tested yet- regardless of the physics being possible, it wasn't guaranteed.

The Commander nodded. "And our friend in the Medlab?"

As if on cue, Rosie's voice came over shipboard communications. "Commander? Elmira is awake and would like to see you." The Mercurian girl sounded tentative as she made her request, making both unsettled.

Giving his assent, he and Davenport quickly made their way there, meeting Rosie and Elmira, the latter looking troubled.

"Elmira?" Davenport asked softly.

Eyes glazed and staring ahead, the only words uttered were, "They're coming," before losing consciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

Goddard reacted immediately upon Elmira passing out. "Rosie, I want that chip out of her now," he ordered. "Let me know when it's done. Thelma!"

"Yes, Commander."

Sucking in a breath as Thelma's sudden appearance, he said, "Help Rosie prep Elmira for surgery. I want a report as soon as that chip is out."

"Right away, sir."

"Miss Davenport, with me," he ordered, briskly exiting the Medlab. Once in the corridor, he called to the bridge. "Harlan? Bova? Radu? Scan the immediate sector as well as all neighboring ones for Spung activity. I expect a report by the time I get to the Command Post."

"Seth?" she queried softly. Her voice held a note of anxiety, genuinely concerned for the turn the day had taken.

"Everything is going to be fine," he said confidently, trying to soothe her nerves. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close, dropped a small kiss into her hair, and guided them both towards the Command Post. "When we get through this, I owe you a nice dinner. How does food wheel surprise sound?"

"Charming," she said dryly, but a smile was threatening to pull at the corner of her mouth, giving away that she was not completely upset. She admired his confidence and hoped some of it would rub off on her in scenarios like this. Far from being the consistently screaming fainter when they first began their trek home, TJ still was the anxious, worried one (or as Seth preferred, "the voice of reason"). They balanced one another well while simultaneously challenging the other to be stronger, better, and more measured. It was his strength she drew on in dangerous moments, knowing he would be there to catch her when needed. Her tendency to err on the side of caution was what he drew on to make more measured decisions in order to guide them home safely.

"Perhaps you can share with me then how you got my password?" he teased.

"Perhaps," she said with a smirk. "Or perhaps you can just not be so transparent." Giving him a last cheeky grin, she breezed past him and entered the Command Post, the Commander right on her heels, and snapping right back to duty. An all too brief glance said they would continue their conversation later before turning the attention to the students.

"Gentlemen, report," Goddard ordered.

"Spung in sector 37, sir," Bova told him. "They are holding position for now, but who knows how long that will last."

"Keep monitoring Bova. Radu, start looking for ways that we can get around that sector, if possible. Harlan, be ready to jump to hyperspace if needed," Goddard ordered, trying to outwardly maintain an air of cool confidence, while being aware that he suddenly needed to juggle several dangerous scenarios. Seth knew what needed to be done- he had run a thousand operations like this one in his career, but with his students, the stakes were always higher. The only job he had in regards to them was to get them home. He had promised the Admiral as much. That included the children, TJ, even Suzee who had gotten herself confined. That fact was one he constantly repeated to himself each time they found themselves in a predicament such as the one they currently were navigating, and it did him well to constantly remind himself of that.

The next hour was tense as everyone was on high alert, keeping a close eye on the Spung as Radu did his best to guide them away from the killcruisers parked in Sector 37. TJ had excused herself a little while before to check on Rosie's progress in the Medlab, leaving him with the boys. _The waiting is always the hardest part,_ Goddard thought to himself. He had shared a significant look before she departed, clearly conveying he wanted her to be careful and TJ expressing the same for him. Their ability to have entire conversations with just a glance was incredible to him and affirmed just how strong their bond was.

"Commander Goddard?" TJ called over the shipboard system. "Rosie just finished removing the chip. Quite successfully I might add. She is stitching Elmira up now."

"Excellent," Goddard said. One hurdle crossed. "Any sign of-"

"Sir, there is a Spung ship dropping from hyperspace," Bova warned. "Not a killcruiser. They look like scout ships… Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?" Goddard asked warily.

"The killcruisers in Sector 37 have started moving though. Projected trajectory is in our direction," Bova continued.

"Terrific," Goddard said sarcastically.

"Thelma?" TJ asked in the Medlab. The android appeared next to the teacher, who was examining the chip, covered in blood in a dish, but blinking in some sort of pattern.

"Yes, Miss Davenport?"

"What is that chip doing?" Davenport asked warily.

"I am scanning now. Please allow me a moment to complete my analysis," Thelma said mechanically. TJ nervously starting wringing her hands as she waited for the report. "Analysis complete. The chip was seems to have been activated upon removal. It is currently sending signals out to the Spu-"

A strong jolt rocked the ship as TJ was knocked off her feet and landed painfully on her side. "What was that?" she asked in a panic as she nursed what she was sure would be a nasty bruise come tomorrow.

"Miss Davenport, are you alright?" Rosie asked worriedly, having fallen backwards herself. She quickly got to her feet, and moved to help her teacher, who waved her off.

"I'll be fine, dear," she told the Mercurian. "Take care of Elmira." The young Spung girl was thankfully still on the Medbed and under anesthetic. Rosie quickly finished stitching the wound as TJ carefully got to her feet, holding onto the table she had been standing next to prior to her fall. "Commander?" she called once she was upright. The ship lurched again, not as badly as the prior motion, but enough that she had to grab the table to keep from falling again.

When Seth didn't answer after a minute, TJ turned to Thelma. "What is happening?"

The android scanned for a moment before answering, "We are taking fire. Two Spung scout ships. Shield strength at eighty percent."

"Commander?" TJ called again, sounding more desperate this time. When she got no answer, she glanced around the room quickly. _What would Seth do?_ She thought desperately. Seeing the chip on the table, she quickly made a decision. "Thelma, get me a cloth," she ordered.

The android paused, then pulled a handkerchief from her mouth, presenting it to Miss Davenport with an innocent look on her face. TJ pulled a face but accepted it. No time to be disgusted by it. Wrapping the chip in the material, she ran from the Medlab, stumbling briefly as the ship took another hit. "Miss Davenport, what are you doing?" Rosie yelled after her, but TJ was already gone.

 _Seth, give me strength_ , she prayed to herself, noting how she silently called to him in her time of need. If ever there was a time to pull a page from his playbook, this was it. Mustering all the courage she could, and trying to stave off the terror clawing its way to the surface, Davenport ran through the corridor clutching the scrap of fabric wrapped around the retrieval chip and hurried to the airlock. Opening the inner door, she threw it inside the passage, closed the door and opened the outer door, allowing time to allow the item to flush itself out before closing the outer airlock. Satisfied that it was gone, she stumbled back towards the Medlab, hitting a wall once more as the ship took yet another hit, whimpering in pain as she smacked the same spot on her side she had earlier. Breathing hard, she fought back waves of panic as she clutched the wall and tried to calm herself before continuing on. You can do this, she internally yelled at herself.

"Miss Davenport?" Commander Goddard's voice broke in through her attempt to calm herself.

"Commander, thank heavens! Where have you been?"

Seth deflected with a question of his own. "TJ, where are you? Rosie called and said you had suddenly left the Medlab and taken the chip with you. Then Bova reports the airlock opening while we're being shot at-" His voice had dropped, indicating he was trying to stay subtle but was clearly worried.

"I threw Elmira's chip out the airlock," she told him. "I know you say that space hates litter, but it needed to get off the ship and it was the fastest thing I could think of."

"What is it with you throwing stuff out the airlock?" he teased. More seriously be added, "But you're okay?"

"I'm fine." She lied, choosing to not let him know she had smashed her side twice already. It hurt. A lot. That last collision with the wall definitely did more than leave a bruise. However, the last thing she wanted was to add an additional concern on to what he was already dealing with. "Can we try to get away from the ships firing at us though?" she asked, trying but mostly failing to push her anxiety aside and not let slip how much pain she was truly in.

"Working on that," he told her, grunting as the ship withstood another direct hit.

"Before we're blown up?"

"Very cute. Get back to the Medlab," he ordered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Davenport saw Suzee sprinting towards the jumptubes, presumably to engineering. "What in the-? Suzee?"

The girl shot a defiant look to Miss Davenport, as though challenging the woman to stop her, then disappeared down the tube. "Bloody hell," TJ muttered.

"Miss Davenport?" she heard Seth call.

"Suzee is on her way to engineering," she said simply.

She heard the loud, frustrated growl come from him before barking, "Can't anyone around here follow an order?"

"Seriously doubt this is the time to contemplate that Commander," TJ chastised. She took a calming breath, gripped the wall to keep herself upright, and tried to think of what she needed to do. "I'm going down there too."

"What?" Goddard asked incredulously. "You-"

"Need to make sure Suzee doesn't do anything foolish. I am aware." Part of her was sure Seth did not want her anywhere near the engine room, but this wasn't the time to argue that point. She moved quickly at first, attempting to hurry her way to engineering, then upon her injury bothering her more, moved more slowly. Injured or not, TJ knew she needed to talk to the girl before things went from bad to worse. By sheer willpower and her own stubbornness, she kept moving, ignoring Seth's protesting from the Command Post.

It took a few minutes of stumbling but Davenport finally made her way to engineering, out of breath and clutching her side, but still moving. TJ took that as a positive but she had a strong feeling adrenaline was involved. "Suzee?" she called across the cavernous space.

Suzee stuck her head out from behind the hyperdrive controls, busily adjusting the components while glaring at Miss Davenport. "What do you want?" she spat out, annoyed the teacher came to bother her.

"To find out what you plan to do-"

"So you can stop me?" Suzee shot back. "In case you haven't noticed Miss Davenport, we are about one frag torpedo blast away from losing our shields and then we're dead in space. I need to try and repair the shields and be sure we can jump to hyperspace without being followed." Suzee ran to another console, hastily pulled some wires, immediately frowned at what seemed to be burned circuits, and looked pointedly to Miss Davenport. "Hold these," Suzee told her, pointing to the wires.

"Pardon-"

"If you're going to lecture me while I'm trying to save you all, then you may as well be useful to me. Hold these." Suzee held the wires out, which, after a few tentative steps, Davenport took.

Noting the way Davenport was walking, favoring one particular side, the girl's eyes widened slightly before turning her attention to the wires. "You're hurt," Suzee said as she fused new relays in place. It was a statement. "I'm surprised you haven't fainted because of it." Once the connections were made, she took the wires, put them back in the console and moved to the next console.

Davenport made a face but ignored the comment. "What was that you just-"

"Shield generator. We should be okay until we're ready to jump to hyperspace."

"Ready? I should think we are more than ready to-"

"I need a few minutes. I was nearly ready to…" Suzee trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence, but TJ already figured out where it was heading.

TJ leaned on the console she was standing over, hunched over from the pain. With a strained expression, and a great deal of effort, she managed to say, "You can't be serious? We are in the middle of an attack and you're trying to do this now? How does Catalina feel about this plan?"

"She has no reason to believe it won't work. This method is how I saved her- just without blowing up the ship- so I don't see why it won't work again." Suzee sounded more than overconfident- it was downright arrogant. "And not for nothing, I get that you and Commander Goddard are angry at me but do you think that will solve anything right now?"

"I am not cross with you," TJ insisted. "Disappointed because I feel you should have been honest-"

"And forthcoming, yeah," Suzee said as she rolled her eyes, simultaneously affixing a device to the hyperdrive. "Geez, do you and the Commander rehearse these lines with each other or do you really share a brain?"

"Suzee, please don't push me away. I only want to help. And you didn't answer my question. How does Catalina feel?"

"Bova, the shields should have some power back," Suzee called to the Command Post, ignoring Davenport. "Commander, ready for hyperjump in one minute."

"We may not have a minute," TJ heard Seth grind out. She was sure his teeth were gritted together by the way he was speaking.

"Miss Davenport, you need to go," Suzee directed.

"I will do no such thing," she said stubbornly. "My job is to protect my students and-"

"I'm not one of your students," Suzee insisted. More softly, she added. "You're hurt. By the way you're holding your side, it looks like you may have cracked a few ribs. Being in engineering when we jump to hyperspace is not the safest place. You should be in the Medlab

"If you think I will leave you alone- wait a minute. What will happen when we jump to hyperspace?" TJ racked her brain to try to connect dots and scanned the room, mentally connecting what each console's purpose was. She didn't spend a lot of time in the engine room, but being she taught hyperspace physics, TJ had chosen to learn each area of the space for a more practical understanding of what she was imparting to the students. It was by her scan she saw the device integrated with the hyperdrive. Realizing immediately the intention, TJ's eyes widened as she let out a forced whisper of, "Suzee… you can't." Tears sprang uncontrolled to her eyes, knowing exactly what her intent was.

"I have to carry out the plan to get home. All of us. Tell the Commander I'm sorry."

Before TJ could argue further, the girl quickly shoved her from the room, but not before saying, "Thank you, Miss Davenport. For everything." Then she sealed herself in the room.

"Suzee! Let me in this insta-" Before she complete the protest and force her way back into engineering, the entire ship violently lurched forward, launching TJ's already fragile body against the nearest corridor wall and causing her to slump to the floor, unconscious.

"Commander, hyperdrive engines are ready," Goddard heard Suzee say through the communication system.

Wasting no time, and noting the just arrived killcruiser was already firing up weapons, Goddard ordered Harlan to jump to hyperspace- and promptly was thrown across the bridge. Cursing loudly, he grabbed onto the nearest thing he could grab ahold us to pull himself to his feet, noting Harlan and Bova were also sprawled out. Even Radu was struggling to remain standing, unusual for the Andromedan. "Gentlemen, what the hell was that?" he inquired angrily.

"I don't know, sir," Harlan answered, seeming genuinely confused. "I initiated the hyperdrive and it just went crazy!"

"Suzee! What's going on down there?" No answer. "Suzee?" When he still got no response, Goddard cursed again and bellowed, "Thelma!"

"Yes, Commander." The android appeared beside him instantly, seemingly not phased by the chaos ensuing around them.

"What is going on with the hyperdrive?"

"There has been a significant modification to the system which has provided increased power to the protomix master core by a factor of 50, causing us to accelerate more quickly than anticipated." She paused for a moment, scanning once more before adding, "There is also some sort of anomaly in engineering."

Goddard's heart sank. "What sort of anomaly?" he asked worriedly.

"Unknown. It seems to be caused by an unknown device wired into our existing systems," Thelma reported. "And sir? Engineering has been sealed. No one can get in or out at this time."

Suzee's damned transdistatial device, he thought angrily. "Thelma, is anyone still inside?"

"I am reading one life sign in engineering."

Goddard felt sick. _TJ was down there with her!_ , he thought in a panic. "Who?" he asked worriedly.

"Unknown," Thelma said. "There is too much interference from the power surge to get a clear reading."

"Miss Davenport?" Seth waited a moment, desperately trying to remain calm for the sake of the students. "Miss Davenport? TJ!" With each cry of her name, he became more worried, more panicked, and wasn't able to completely control his emotion.

"I'm sure she's okay," Harlan said quietly, in an effort to reassure him. It wasn't like the Commander to break, but he watched the man struggle with his emotions and immediately felt sorry for him. In an effort to comfort him, Harlan added, "Miss Davenport has become much tougher than she looks."

Goddard nodded as he tried to compose himself, but found he was having trouble controlling his now shaking hands. Tightly clasping his hands behind his back to hide them from the students, the Commander desperately tried to remember everything she had said regarding Suzee's plans. _Focus, Seth!_ "Thelma, override the seal to engineering. I want to try to shut down the hyperdrive. Harlan, see what you can do up here. Radu, you're with me." Before anyone could protest, Seth entered the jumptubes, and promptly got spit back into the Command Post. He was less than pleased. He was a man desperate to find the woman he loved and this was a serious hindrance. "Jumptubes offline too?" he asked angrily.

Thelma nodded innocently.

Storming out the door, he growled, "Long way it is," and, like a man on a mission, quickly made his way through the maze of corridors.

"Sir?" Radu asked quietly after a few moments.

"Yes, Mr. Radu?" Seth asked he he continued the brisk pace.

"She's alive," the soft spoken Andromedan told him.

"I appreciate your vote of confidence Mr. Radu, but I would prefer to see for-" he trailed off when he saw her unconscious form lying stretched out on her side in the corridor. "No…" Tears sprang to his eyes. "No, no, no…" Panic seized him as he flashed back to his time serving in the war, remembering the men and women lost during battle, lifeless bodies strewn about the corridors before medical teams could get to them. Soldiers he wasn't able to protect, who would never get home to see their families. People he had failed. "God, no…" Tears fell traitorously from his eyes, as he ran to her, a man desperate and afraid. _I will not fail her too!_

Seth collapsed next to her, putting his fingers to her neck to check for breathing and exhaling a breath he didn't even know was being held once he realized TJ was alive. Catching Radu's eye, he nodded to affirm the young man was right in his assessment (he probably had heard her breathing),, then called to Rosie, informing her of a medical emergency and to prep the Medlab.

Radu, was working on the doors to engineering, attempting to muscle his way in while Seth shook on the ground, thankful she was alive but trembling as he couldn't discern the extent of her injuries. Holding her exposed hand in a vicelike grip, and rubbing circles on it with his thumb, he used his other hand to stroke her cheek, leaning over her body and tearily begging, pleading for her to wake up. He couldn't care less what Radu thought of his actions at this point. He needed TJ to be okay, to wake up and make a lighthearted dig at him for being too emotional, to shoot him that wry, flirtatious grin she reserved for when she teased him, to hold him and make reassurances she was all right.

 _Breathe, Seth, breathe,_ he ordered himself. He needed to pull himself together if Rosie were to have any chance to quickly help. Medical training 101 from the academy. Assess the scene. Anything out of place? No. Visually check the patient. He gently rolled her body onto its back and scanned her up and down, trying to not move her too much if anything was broken. Hand he was holding- seemed okay. Other arm- odd angle, did not look promising. Legs looked all right. Head- small line of dried blood at her scalp line. A definite lump at the same spot. Need to check for head trauma… not good. He couldn't get a look at her sides and wasn't about to rip her clothes off to find out, especially in front of a student. He needed to get her to the Medlab. Fast.

"Harlan? Any luck shutting down the hyperdrive?" Goddard called, knowing that he wouldn't have a hope of moving TJ until that was disengaged.

There was a pause before Harlan answered. "Um… in a minute, Commander." The boy sounded haunted by something, but Seth was more worried about TJ to inquire.

"Sooner rather than later," Goddard ordered, sounding testy. Glancing at TJ's broken form he added, "Miss Davenport is..." His voice cracked. "She needs to get to the Medlab. It's… it's bad." He revealed the last part in a whisper, tears silently running down his face.

Another pause, then a whispered, "Will she be-"

"Now, Mr. Band!" Goddard practically screamed. He was aware that what little control he tried to hold onto was nearly gone, no longer caring about anything except how to get his best friend, confidante, lover- his entire being- the medical help she so desperately needed.

"Yes, sir," Harlan responded, ignoring the outburst.

A moment later, the ship gave another lurch as it came out of hyperspace, the sudden deceleration causing Goddard to slide, as he grabbed hold of TJ to shield her body from colliding against anything. Once he was sure that there was no more danger to rolling around, he scooped the woman into his arms and cradled her close to his body. "Radu, I'm getting Miss Davenport to the Medlab," he told the Andromedan. "You get into engineering and find out what exactly Suzee has done. Thelma?"

"Yes, Commander?" Thelma asked immediately, appearing behind him.

"Help Radu get into engineering. Find Suzee, see what has been done and find out how we fix it. And tell her she's confined to quarters indefinitely. When I get my hands on her…" he trailed off, the last part of his statement stated in a threatening growl, before he reigned it in and focused more on taking care of TJ. Leaving that last bit unfinished, he turned and moved as quickly but carefully as he could to the Medlab. _Hold on, TJ,_ he thought as he held her close to him. _Hold on for me._


	11. Chapter 11

Seth burst in a few moments later, gently laying TJ on the nearest Medbed, and causing a worried Rosie, who had been checking on a still sedated Elmira, to rush to them, grabbing a scanner in the process. Seth gave her a few moments to scan TJ, holding his girlfriend's hand before Rosie forced him back so she could more thoroughly examine her. He watched the Mercurian's browline furrow in concern while he nervously wrung his hands. "How bad is it, Rosie?" he choked out. Tears threatened to fall as he glanced at TJ, her arm at an unnatural angle, angry purple and black bruises marring her beautiful face. He was angry, devastated, grief stricken, all of it. He wanted an outlet to let all of his rage for her being hurt out but the truth was, he was more furious with himself. If he had been with her, he could have stopped her, or shielded her, protected her. _Hold it together, Seth,_ he chastised himself. _Stay strong for TJ._

Rosie hit some buttons on her Compupad before she started speaking. "Four cracked ribs, and her right arm is broken in 3 places," Rosie said. "That stuff we can treat easily."

"But?" Seth's breath hitched in his throat as he braced himself for the inevitable bad news that he felt coming.

She handed him the Compupad before continuing. "She must have hit her head fairly hard before she was knocked unconscious." Zooming in to a scan of Davenport's head, Rosie began explaining, "There are small fractures of both the temporal and parietal bones in her skull. That's bad enough but it's also caused some brain hemorrhaging. If we don't take care of it quickly, it could lead to permanent damage."

"That lump on the side of her head-"

"Caused by the trauma she suffered, yes," Rosie revealed.

Seth took a few shaky breaths, staring directly at TJ, and trying to shore up what little strength he had left to do what he needed. "What are our options?" he asked Rosie.

Rosie glanced at the healing chamber in the corner of the Medlab and nodded towards it. "I don't want to use it unless I have your blessing," she told him, referring to the cylinder which had saved his life already once on this journey. "But it would be our best chance of helping her heal from all her injuries, most notably the brain hemorrhage. Any other thing we can try would require advanced surgical procedures that I am not qualified to handle." The young Mercurian looked pained as she explained what she felt needed to be done, clearly feeling guilty she needed to go that route, but also worried for what her Commander's reaction would be.

"Without the chamber-"

"The bleeding in her brain might spread. It could kill her," Rosie revealed worriedly. "I think it's our best option."

"Do it," he whispered. "I will take full responsibility for this. Just…"

"I will do everything in my power to make sure she is okay," Rosie assured him tearily. "I'll prepare what I need and start the protocols for the chamber."

Goddard was left alone for a few moments while Rosie prepared the chemicals and materials she needed. It allowed him some peace to speak freely with TJ, even if she couldn't hear him. Sitting on the edge of her Medbed, he gently took hold of her hand and held it close to his heart. Tears fell uncontrolled down his cheeks as his grief took hold of him. "I'm sorry, Teej. So, so sorry." Composure gone, he sobbed, clinging to her like a lifeline, even as she wasn't able to comfort him. "This is all my fault. I should've been with you. I would've protected you and you wouldn't be…" He used his free hand to scrub the tears from his face, useless as more kept coming. "We were supposed to be having dinner tonight. I was going to cajole the food wheel to make your favorite things, and then curse it out for giving us something inedible again. You were going to tell me how you figured out my password, and then… God, this wasn't supposed to happen." Seth found himself silently praying to a God he wasn't sure he still believed in, begging for her to be alright. _This is what it feels like for a heart to break. It hurts worse than when the ship landed on me._

"Sir," Rosie broke in softly. "It's time."

He nodded and stepped back, allowing the girl some time to prepare TJ's body. Seeing her methodically wrap Miss Davenport's injuries, Seth was simultaneously impressed with the girl's skills and heartbroken that the love of his life had endured the sort of injury that required him to make the decision he had. He wondered if this was how she had felt watching him be put into the healing chamber after his accident. Suddenly, he had a new appreciation for the loneliness she had felt when it was him getting mended, leaving TJ by herself to care for the students. Now that Goddard faced that same fate, it terrified him, knowing he was on his own and alone, at least until Davenport was better.

"Can you help me, Commander?" Rosie asked shyly. "I can't lift her myself."

Taking a deep breath, he cradled her in his arms and held her close to his body as he carried her to the chamber, kissing her forehead softly, and whispering, "Rest well. I love you," before lowering her in, watching Rosie close the lid and begin the procedure to administer the medications and keep her under sedation.

Watching the machine whir to life, he couldn't help commenting on how TJ hated tight spaces. "If she knew that she was inside there, Miss Davenport would be crawling out of her skin." He was trying to lighten the mood for his own sake but failing miserably. "Does she feel anything?" he asked more soberly.

"Nope," Rosie informed him. "The Christa's living systems are hooking onto her to help heal her injuries. The sedatives keep her body comatose so she won't feel any pain while she sleeps. It's just like when you were in there. She'll be good as new in no time." The sense of positivity from Rosie was noted and appreciated, but he didn't have the heart to tell her that his guilt was still consuming him.

"How long is no time?"

"Depends," Rosie said. "A week. Maybe two. It all depends on how quickly the Christa is able to heal her. She certainly isn't as badly hurt as you were, except for that head injury… you made the right decision, Commander." Rosie gave him a reassuring smile, trying to lift him a little. He appreciated it.

Before Goddard could respond, the doors to the Medlab opened, allowing Harlan and Radu to enter. Both boys' eyes widened upon seeing the chamber, their expressions clearly showing their surprise. "What happened?" Harlan managed to say.

"Harlan," Radu warned.

"She'll be okay," Goddard deflected softly. "The Christa is going to take care of her, right Rosie?"

The Mercurian girl quietly nodded in affirmation.

"Are you going to be?" Radu queried, a bold statement for him, but spoken in a concerned and careful tone.

Goddard sighed as he rested his hand on the outside of the chamber, the coolness permeating from the glass to his skin. He stared at her still form as he spoke, "It's hard seeing her like this."

The boys shared a glance with Rosie, all three looking concerned but sympathetic. "If you want us to handle things for a few days, Commander-" Harlan began to offer but Goddard cut him off.

"No, space hates weakness," the Commander stated firmly as he shook his head. "Besides, Miss Davenport would have my head if I neglected my responsibilities."

The boys sighed, shrugged their shoulders at each other, as though they were managing their own version of silent communication, before starting again. "Okay…." Harlan answered for them, dragging the word out.

"Is there a specific reason you both came down here?" Goddard pressed.

"Um, yes, sir," Radu said quickly, elbowing Harlan.

"Right, yeah, so we have good news, weird news, and I don't even know how to explain it news," Harlan told him.

Goddard pulled a face. "Come again?" It was the oddest start to a status report he'd heard in a long time, but it intrigued him just enough to distract him from TJ for the moment.

"Well, we have good news, weird news-"

"I heard you the first time Mr. Band. Some clarification would help."

Harlan nodded. "Well, the good news… Thelma!"

"Yes, Harlan?" Thelma asked as she appeared behind him. The boy jumped at hearing the android's voice over his shoulder, causing the Commander to stifle a laugh. It was always funnier watching it happen to someone else.

Shaking off his surprise, Harlan asked, "Where in space are we in relation to the Starcademy?" His grin was wide, as though he were trying to contain his excitement about something.

Thelma spent a moment analyzing before she responded. "The Christa will be back at the Starcademy in 2 months, 8 days."

Seth's eyes widened. Two months? Could they be that close to home? "Holy… Thelma, are you sure?"

"Oh, I am positive, I think," Thelma assured them. "Our last trip through hyperspace accelerated the trip towards the Sol system. We were able to escape from Spung controlled territory. I would not recommend jumping to hyperspace again though until we modify the engines again to realign our protomix master core back to normal operating parameters. Otherwise-"

"We might bypass our solar system all together," Seth surmised.

Thelma simply nodded.

"And that is the weird news?" Seth guessed.

"Yeah," Harlan nodded.

"Well, Suzee is confined until further notice so she won't be going anywhere until I speak with her, which is certainly not going to be today. Those repairs will have to wait. We're on main thrusters until then," Goddard ordered.

"That's going to be a problem," Harlan told him.

"What kind of problem?" Seth asked cautiously.

"Suzee isn't exactly on board the Christa," Harlan said nervously. "Not physically anyway."

"What do you mean, Harlan?" Rosie asked cautiously.

Goddard's heart sank. _She couldn't have_ , he thought. No way. He has to find out. "Define, not physically on board the ship."

"This is the part we don't know how to explain," Radu started. "See, somehow, um…" He was at a loss for words.

"With all the chaos in engineering," Harlan tried picking up, but he too wasn't sure how to continue.

"Grozit, Harlan, just spit it out," Catalina's voice cut in, as she made her presence known by entering the Medlab, leaving the Commander frozen in stunned silence. "It's seriously not that difficult. You just say, well, Suzee found a way to switch us back, using the additional power from the protomix master, which was integrated with-"

"Her little device she managed to sneak past me while we were on a supply run at the Elydian Outpost," Seth managed as he found his voice. He fought to keep his tone even as he tried to decide whether to be elated that Catalina was home or furious that her being back was directly connected to TJ's current state.

Catalina hung her head. "I told her we needed more time, but Suzee insisted it had to happen right then. With the ship under attack, she thought the hyperjump was the only way all of you could escape and get her and I back in the right dimension at the same time." She looked sadly to Miss Davenport, laying comatose. More softly she added, "Suzee says she's sorry. So am I." The Saturnian girl hung her head, obviously feeling guilty for not only the manner in which she returned but also that it correlated to her teacher's injuries.

"It doesn't make her better," the Commander said bitterly, indicating where TJ lay.

The students all hung their heads, their faces showing remorse for the state their teacher was in, and nervously waiting for their Commander's order whatever it may be. When the command wasn't given after a few moments, Rosie shyly asked, "Commander?" snapping him from his momentary silence and helping him refocus.

"Harlan, you Radu, and Bova go scan this area of space, find out how close we are to UPP territory. Rosie, stay with Miss Davenport, get everything situated with her in the chamber. Cat… take Thelma with you to engineering. I want that device removed from the hyperdrive and restored exactly to as it was before the jump. I will be down there in one hour to check that work-"

"Commander, it takes longer than that-" Cat began arguing.

"One hour," he repeated harshly. "I'll be in my quarters if anyone needs me." As he left, he heard the students talking quietly, noting his cold welcome to Catalina and obvious grief.

"He's angry with me," Catalina said sadly.

"No he's not Cat," Rosie tried assuring her. "The Commander is just upset about Miss Davenport. He'll come around."

Bless Rosie. That girl's sweet soul will make a fine medical officer one day. And she was right. He was happy Cat was home safely. It would also make for one less thing to have to explain to the Admiral when they returned- Elmira would be enough. However, with his grief so fresh in his mind, he had to focus on the immediate pressing matters. Suddenly being significantly closer to home meant the potential for contacting loved ones- and STARDOG Command- so that needed addressing. The engines needed adjusting, logs detailing their journey needed cataloguing, and somewhere in the mess he knew there would be some preparation for his inevitable trial. All while managing the students alone. He glanced once more towards TJ before steeling himself and making his way back to his quarters. There was one thing he wanted to do first.

It had been a long week. After discovering they were within two weeks of the UPP controlled territory, the crew doubled their efforts to get home. It was as though being so close to home had reinvigorated them, wanting to see their families and impress upon members of the Starcademy that they were no longer the same misfit "Space Cases" that had gotten themselves lost three and a half years ago. Even Seth had found himself going through the records of their trip, but that was partly to keep his mind off TJ being stuck in the healing chamber.

She was progressively getting better according to Rosie's frequent reports. The girl was checking on her teacher several times a day, monitoring the progress on how well she was healing and trying to determine when Miss Davenport might emerge. After Rosie went to bed each evening, Seth would spend time in the Medlab, talking to TJ, filling her in about the day they'd had, the mischief the students had gotten into ("how did you handle them when I was in there?"), and how Catalina had been assimilating back with the crew.

Admittedly, Seth had barely paid her mind which he was aware bothered his Saturnian charge, but he couldn't bring himself to sit with her yet. So, other than noting that she had removed Suzee's transdistatial interdimensional thing from the hyperdrive engines, he'd been hands off with her. Yes, he was thrilled to have her home, but rather than facing her, he made excuses for why they couldn't be alone, leaving her with the other students instead of trying to talk her through her experience in Suzee's dimension or how she felt to have returned to the Christa especially under the circumstances that had occurred under. He knew TJ couldn't answer him about what he said- and she would likely be pissed about not addressing Catalina and for essentially blaming her for Suzee's plan and TJ's current state.

Seth had recorded a message to TJ's father just after she had been placed in the chamber. Nothing had been sent but he used it as an opportunity for a brain dump, describing their adventures, confessing to having begun a relationship with her and trying to explain the depth of his love for her, attempting to make it through his duty to crew in informing his mentor of his daughter's injuries, and most importantly, carrying out a promise to the man he had made years earlier- properly asking him for permission to marry TJ. After he was done, he felt stripped raw, having unleashed unabashed tears and simultaneously feeling somewhat better that he'd given himself a private platform to work through everything that had been weighing on him since TJ had been injured. He wasn't sure that what he recorded- or at least that incarnation of it- would ever be sent, but for now, it would carry him until he was able to properly speak with James Davenport.

On the tenth day of Miss Davenport's time in the chamber, Goddard had pulled a Medbed right next to the cylindrical prison, with the intent to sleep beside her that night. Rosie had said nothing, nodding him a silent goodnight as she left for the evening, allowing him the space to handle his loneliness in the manner which he saw fit. Her discretion was appreciated. "Hey, Teej," he greeted her quietly. "Rosie says you're doing really well. You might even get to come out in a few days if things keep looking up. Just… keep fighting in there. I miss you." He rested his hand gently on the outside of the chamber, looking down at her still form, noting how peaceful she looked.

"Commander?"

Goddard spun around to see Catalina standing in the door to the Medlab, wringing her hands nervously. He straightened, pulling his hands back from the chamber and dropping them to his side.

"Please, don't stop talking to her on my account," Catalina told him. She approached cautiously, the usually confident Titanian- Saturnian- Rigellian unsure of how to proceed. "Rosie said you might be here."

He nodded in response, silently waiting for her to continue.

"I honestly didn't mean to interrupt your time with Miss Davenport. I just… you've barely spoken to me since I returned. Everyone else has been really great and catching me up to what I missed but I got the feeling you are angry with me about Miss Davenport. I feel awful about what happened, I really do."

"Why are you here, Cat?" Seth asked quietly. He barely registered that'd he had used her nickname rather than her full name.

"I wanted to talk to you. This might not be the best place, but it's the only one other than the Command Post you've been since I got back so…" Catalina trailed off, not knowing how to continue. She changed course. "I've come to visit her a few times since I got back. When you weren't here. I know I wasn't always nice to her at the academy or when we first started out on the Christa, but after the past couple years in Suzee's dimension, I appreciate all she was trying to do for me. Giving me someone to talk to. Not allowing me to fail. Being more a parent to me than my aunts were…" Tears started forming in her eyes and she hung her head, not wanting the Commander to see her that way.

Seth scrubbed his hands down his face and sighed. He hadn't expected the normally confident and somewhat arrogant girl to break down, making him wonder what other cues he had missed since she'd returned. He quietly pulled over two chairs to sit next to the chamber and silently indicated for Catalina to sit. The girl hesitated at first, but then joined him, both sitting beside one another and looking at TJ's prone form.

"It's so weird seeing her that way," Catalina noted softly. "Can she hear us?"

"I don't know," Goddard told her. "Thelma said anything is possible."

Cat nodded. "I've been talking to her a lot. Telling her about what it was like in Suzee's world. For years I had always said I wanted to visit her dimension sometime. I suppose I should have been careful what I wished for."

Startled by the revelation, Seth's head shot up and he assumed a protective stance. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No! No, they didn't," Cat said defensively. "They were very nice to me. It's just…" She paused trying to find the right words. "I felt confined there."

"Confined? Like a…"

"Her parents couldn't explain to people where I came from. So rather than face questions, they chose to keep me out of sight. They would do normal family stuff with their other daughters like going to the science hall, going out to dinner, but I largely was told to stay home. They'd always bring me something back, but it wasn't the same. Even my school work was done at home. Sometimes I would sneak out when no one was around, just for a little while. Not in the backyard, but going for a walk around the neighborhood. Anything to be able to breathe a little. It was awful." Seth could see her fighting the tears but knew she wanted to finish. "I just wanted to go home. At least I would've had my freedom. But the minute I come home, Miss Davenport is…" The girl broke. Uncontrolled sobs poured from her and Seth wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in for a soothing hug.

"I'm sorry, Cat," he whispered. "I don't want you to ever think what happened is your fault."

"But it is!" she insisted. "That stupid device sent us on the course we were. If I had stopped her…"

"Stop," he told her firmly. "I don't think placing blame is helpful right now. That's what Miss Davenport would want me to ensure."

"But you blame me-" She sniffled.

"No. But if I've been behaving that way then I apologize. I honestly don't know exactly the circumstances that led to Miss Davenport's injuries and for that I blame myself."

"How do you think she'd feel if she knew you blamed yourself even as you said that placing blame wouldn't help right now?" Cat asked, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

Seth laughed mirthlessly. "I imagine there would be a lecture."

"She's lucky to have you. We all are," Catalina told him.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's the other way around," he mused aloud.

"She loves you. Always has," Catalina revealed. "And you've loved her. The only thing all of us can't believe is that it took you both so long to see it."

He chose to ignore her statement and deflect. "It's good to have you home, Cat. And I'm glad you came to talk to me. I needed it."

Catalina nodded. "Thanks, Commander. It… it means a lot." With a smile, she added, "Seriously though, you two have had a thing for each other since back at the Starcademy, how did everyone else see it and not you?"

"Good night, Cat."

"No fair, Commander, I poured my heart out-"

"Good night, Cat."

"But-"

"GOOD NIGHT," he said one last time, more firmly, as he gently steered her from the Medlab and let the doors whoosh behind her.

He turned to face TJ, still silent and still in the chamber and tried to picture her reaction. "Don't judge me," he said teasingly. "You would've ended that conversation too. But she's right. We wasted a lot of years. Once you get out of there, I intend not to waste any more time."

Returning to the Medbed at the side of the chamber, he laid himself down, called for the lights to be turned down, and turned on his side facing TJ. "Good night, TJ," he whispered, before drifting to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Breakfast was always busy, but it was especially chaotic today with so many items on the agenda. They had crossed into the outer rim of the UPP's territory two days prior, after coming dangerously close to being shot right out from space. If it hadn't been for the crew's quick thinking to hail the ship who'd been about to take them out- and for the other captain to not only answer, but turn out to be one of the Commander's old classmates- they might not have survived at all. _Three and a half years of Spung attacks, strange astral phenomena, and a bizarre ship that has a mind of her own and it's nearly Steven Randall that shoots me from dead in space,_ he thought to himself. _He and I are going to have a long talk when this is done_. It took a deal of convincing- along with running his STARDOG ID code nearly a dozen times- for the other ship to be convinced that they were indeed the lost crew from the Starcademy. "Admiral Cody is going to skin you all alive," Randall had told them dryly.

"Well aware of it Steve," the Commander had told him. Seth was well aware that there was trouble on the horizon for them all but to hear of how widespread that general bit of knowledge brought that reality into focus more so than it already was. "Won't stop me from getting these kids home though."

The other man gave a half smile. "For what it's worth, I'm impressed you pulled off the miracle of getting those kids home. I hope Command feels the same way." After verifying that the other ship would convey their presence to other ships in the sector, they were thoroughly welcomed back, and granted safe passage.

Bova had informed them yesterday that they would be in communications range with STARDOG Command later in the morning, even though they were still 1 month and 25 days away from the Starcademy (Thelma's calculations). It made sense to Seth- he had been on some early missions in his career helping to place some of the communication satellites along the edges of the UPP's territory in order for ships to be able to send messages to Command. He knew at some point in the day, they would be in contact with the Admiral and he needed to be ready. They all did. Once breakfast had finished, he returned to his quarters to contemplate how to proceed with his day.

Elmira was also involved now with them as well, now that she had time to heal from her surgery. Seth had been spending time with her and Radu, in order to allow her time to assimilate to the crew, and catching her up on customs and traditions that she would likely encounter upon her introduction to the Sol system. She was remarkably calm and poised for someone that had essentially left her entire family behind (years behind, really), once their jump through space entered the equation. While explaining to her that there might be some fallout for her being with them, especially when considering that the Spung were still considered hostile, Elmira nodded, assuring Seth that, "I have already seen my destiny. I will do what is meant to happen." Goddard wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, but Radu assured him that it was okay.

She and Radu were quite the pair- two individuals whose races had bad blood between them, yet they were incredibly close. He credited Radu's gentle nature and patience with helping Elmira to adjust to life on the Christa, and also for explaining all the Commander's questions regarding her intentions for escaping her people and seeking sanctuary. Part of his inevitable talk with the Admiral would deal with how Elmira would be treated upon their return and he would fight to ensure her status was favorable.

"Nervous?"

He was shaken from his reverie by TJ, who looked concerned. _Terrified,_ Seth thought to himself. It had been two years since they had been able to contact anyone at home, whether it was family or STARDOG Command. So much had happened since then- Catalina had been brought home, Elmira had been liberated from her father, and their students as a whole had gelled together as a team and family, with he and TJ as the heads of said family. They had set their own rules, grounded in STARDOG policy, but they were flexible in how situations were handled depending on the circumstances. There were no immediate worries regarding going home, facing consequences, and losing the very thing that had made them stronger- each other (with a lot of help from the Christa herself). Their hyperjump through space had brought reality into a much sharper focus and far more quickly than originally anticipated. Seth dreaded the transmission with his CO.

Seth looked at TJ and nodded. "Can't say I've been looking forward to this meeting," he admitted honestly. "You?"

TJ shook her head. After she had emerged from the healing chamber a week ago, Seth had been by her side to help her regain her bearings, and had doted on her incessantly for two days. His need to do absolutely everything for her was sweet, and borne from the guilt he felt over the events that led to her injuries, but she'd only been able to take so much before she's snapped at him to "stop treating her like a damned china doll." Her injury had impacted him tremendously, breaking him down in ways she never knew he could. The blame he placed upon himself broke her heart and she had spent the better part of the past several days assuring him that she was better than new. Common ground had also been forged between them- his time in the same chamber had left her stripped raw on several occasions as well. Their mutual understanding of how it felt to be without their "other half" made it easier to empathize with the other.

Of course, the big difference was that this time, there was a learning curve upon emerging that left her in shock. Discovering that Catalina was home, along with learning they were less than two months from the Starcademy had been a surprise to say the least. Now that they were so close to home, she wasn't sure it made her as pleased as it should have. While she desperately wanted to see her father, who she'd missed dearly, facing the Starcademy and STARDOG Command scared her. She and Seth had spent the better part of two days planning what to say, readying themselves to be a united front, but TJ had a feeling, at least in the back of her mind, that she might not be welcome to the meeting. The Admiral was a stickler for protocol- even when everyone was present for their last conversation with him, she hadn't been able to speak. Lacking an official commission as an officer likely meant that she'd be left aside again. However, each time she brought up that detail to the Commander, he deflected, insisting that her input was vital and necessary for Command to hear. The foreboding sense of dread she had regarding their impending transmission was unsettling to say the least.

"Same. The last time we spoke with the Admiral he did leave things rather ambiguous. Might be alright. Might not be." She was entirely uncertain what could come from this.

He shot her a dubious look. "I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better."

She smiled sweetly. "And here I thought you wanted me to be honest."

He reached across the desk and took hold of her hands, squeezing them gently as he rubbed circles over them. Their eyes locked together and they remained that way for several moments until a chime sounded in the room. "Commander, we've established communications with STARDOG Command. The Admiral would like to speak with you," Rosie's bright voice called over the shipboard system.

They reluctantly let go of each other, sharing one more significant glance before Seth called back for Rosie. "Route the transmission to my quarters please, Miss Ianni." After a short pause, where both adults subconsciously straightened their uniforms, they turned towards the screen just as Admiral Cody appeared.

"Goddard," his superior greeted stiffly as Seth saluted, standing ramrod straight as he presented himself.

"Admiral," Seth greeted formally.

"Miss Davenport," the Admiral regarded TJ.

"Sir," she said with a nod of acknowledgement.

"At ease, both of you. How are Harlan and the other students?"

They shared a quick glance before TJ answered. "They are doing quite well. Each has grown tremendously on our journey. We're quite proud of them," she told the Admiral, a hint of a smile playing across her lips. "I believe you'll be quite pleased with who each student has become in our time away. A full report is being prepared for you-"

"I'm sure it will be quite thorough," the Admiral interrupted, although his face contained a half smile. TJ Davenport had a reputation for being exceptionally thorough and it was nice to see that hadn't changed. "If you will excuse us though, Commander Goddard and I need to speak alone."

Seth was furious. "Admiral!" he protested. "Miss Davenport is the first officer of this ship and a valued member of my crew-"

"And not a commissioned officer," the Admiral cut in.

"Commander, it's all right," TJ said softly. She placed her hand on his shoulder softly to calm him. She had been prepared for this scenario. "I'll let you both talk in private." Her hand trailed down his arm as she turned to leave, but not before he caught her hand, forcing her to look at him, their eyes locking together. _Find me when you're done_ , her eyes told him. TJ had expected no less from the Admiral and Seth had to understand that.

He gave her a nearly imperceptible nod, letting go of her hand and watching her silently leave.

"You two are close." It was a statement. Seth turned to see the Admiral's face, emotionless and professional, staring back at him.

"It's hard not to be after a trip like this," Seth told his superior flatly, leaving his voice devoid of emotion.

"Not what I meant," the Admiral answered just as flatly. "For all your faults, you've still never been one to indulge romantic liaisons."

"Excuse me?"

"Your job has been to get those kids home safely-"

"Which has been my primary goal for the past three and a half years. Hardest assignment of my life and probably the most meaningful one as well. If you even had a clue as to a fraction of what we've seen, what we've survived-"

"While playing house with teacher?" the Admiral exploded. "Blatantly fraternizing with your subordinates? What the hell kind of example do you think you have set?"

Goddard laughed mirthlessly. "That's rich coming from you."

Cody's features darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please, at least I didn't hook up with my dead subordinate's wife almost immediately after he was killed, marry her, and proceed to emotionally scar her kid." Seth was shaking with fury.

"Commander Goddard, my personal life is none of your concern!"

"No! I beg to differ. I've spent four and a half years with your stepson, first as his teacher, and then his commanding officer and acting en loco parentis. Harlan is a promising young man, tremendously skilled at helm, a capable leader, and all around good kid. Why couldn't you see that?"

"Harlan needed discipline-"

"Harlan needed to be loved and mentored. You were supposed to be a father, not his superior!" Seth was shouting at this point, face red and a vein throbbing at his jugular.

"And what would you know of family? You've actively spent your career cowboying around the galaxy avoiding your own. You lecture me on my choices but you should really examine your own." The Admiral looked deadly but Seth wasn't going to back down.

"I'm not the same man who disappeared Admiral," Seth said, venom dripping from his voice. "Miss Davenport and I realized very quickly that we needed to establish order and discipline, yes. But it's been grounded in teamwork and family. Things you seem to have forgotten."

"So this is the example you set, further breaking the rules by challenging your superior, engaging in some romantic lark-"

 _Romantic lark! Is that what he thinks this is? He knows damn well that this whole ordeal was a complete accident!_ "Leave TJ out if this! She deserves a hell of a lot more respect-"

"As you've given me? I don't see you married-"

"And where was I supposed to find an officiant in deep space. Perhaps I should have pulled up to the nearest Spung killcruiser and asked them not to fire on us long enough to perform a wedding ceremony. Great plan." Seth rolled his eyes dramatically, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"You're in enough trouble and you're adding to it-"

"What are you going to do, court martial me? Oh wait," Seth had had it. The sarcasm was dripping from his voice now, laced with an anger that he rarely set forth. Admiral Cody might have been his CO, but his family- his quirky, unorthodox, not so misfit anymore family, was to Seth, under attack and he refused to go down without a fight. "I accept that I need to answer for the actions that led to our disappearance and even for my previous actions with Reaver if you choose. But I will never apologize for who we have all become as a result. To act as though you can treat us all by assuming none of us has been changed by this entire ordeal is short-sighted and plain wrong."

"There are procedures that need to be followed-"

"Yes, please enlighten me to the protocol for accidentally ending up on the opposite side of the galaxy with a group of students, desperately trying to make one's way home while fighting off more dangers than most STARDOGs see in their entire careers, and then, if by some miracle you make it, fighting to ensure there is any hope for their future. I promise Admiral, I have the entire Starcademy handbook and curriculum memorized and unless there have been significant changes made since we left, I doubt those items are included." Seth looked to the doorway where TJ was standing, her arms folded across her chest. He wasn't sure how long ago she had returned but the look on her face was a cross between anger and smug determination.

"Davenport, I believe I asked to speak with Commander Goddard alone," Admiral Cody nearly growled.

"You did. But you didn't believe I was going to walk away completely, did you? Especially not when you insinuate that I am some sort of harlot who lacks the capacity to keep her students' best interests at heart." Seth recognized the fire and fury in her eyes as she walked across the room to stand beside him, and was thankful that at least this time, the wrath was not directed at him. "And this conversation is over. Good day, Admiral."

Before either man could protest, TJ ended the transmission, as Seth stood there with his mouth hanging open. "You hung up on him," he managed to say after a long pause, the shock evident in his voice.

"I didn't like how he spoke about us. Although, going for his throat about Harlan may not have been wise either," TJ told him. With an additional wry smile she added, "Even if it was justified."

"You hung up on him," he repeated, now with a half-laugh. He had a look of awe on his face.

"Yes. Did you disagree with that?" TJ asked. "Because I was not going to sit back and let him speak to you that way." Glancing over at him she added, "And you would have done the same for me."

"We're going to have to face him again sooner or later," Seth told her. "And it probably won't go well for either of us."

"Neither of you handled it well just now," she pointed out. "Maybe I didn't either." TJ's eyes widened as her actions caught up with her. "Dear heavens, I hung up on him!" She suddenly looked mortified.

The Commander full out laughed. "You did."

"My goodness, what did I do? This is not funny at all!" She playfully swatted his arm as he tried to control his laughter.

"He did try to attack your character."

She sighed. "I heard. But I may have just made things far worse for you. For both of us. I'm so sorry." Her eyes widened. "He never got my report! The stuff about the children, and dear heavens, how are we going to explain Elmira? We had a whole list of points we never got discuss…"

"He doesn't want to see how all of us has changed," Seth said. His head was hanging in defeat. "And Elmira… I know we did the right thing, but we're going to have weapons turned on us if we don't figure out how to warn the Admiral about her beforehand."

She gently tipped his head up slightly so she could look him in the eyes. "So we'll have to convince him otherwise," TJ said confidently. "Together."

Seth gave a half-smile, then sobered as he considered his next point. "I hate the way he treats Harlan. Reminds me of how my dad and I were. Always at odds, never feeling like I was good enough. At least your dad was there when I needed someone. He was the first person outside my sister who truly believed I could make something of myself. Who knows where I'd be without his support," Seth lamented. "And yours."

TJ smiled softly, having made a connection Seth hadn't noticed. "You'd be where you are now. Paying it forward to another boy who needs your love and guidance, just as Father gave you. Except you have a whole crew that you've not only been the Commander of, but a father too."

"You've been just as good a mother to them," he offered. After a moment's pause he added, "All things considered, we've done a damn fine job, haven't we?"

"Better than I ever expected, yes," she conceded softly. She felt her entire body burning a bright red at the compliment. "We're finally back in friendly space and I'm not so sure that I am ready to give this life up."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I've finally found my equilibrium out here. I got to live out the adventures that previously I had only dreamed of and read about. Have a family which I had started to believe was unattainable. I have you…" She choked back tears on her last words, willing the salty drops not to fall from her eyes. "Do they mean to tear us apart?" She asked tearfully, her eyes a mix of fear and sadness.

"Over my dead body."

"Don't joke about that," she warned. "Perhaps we should just indulge your idea of pulling up next to a killcruiser and asking the Spung to not fire on us long enough to officiate a wedding for us. That might turn some heads." Her smile was wide and arms crossed over her chest as she looked over to him.

"Not sure how Elmira would feel about- wait, you heard that too?" Seth's jaw dropped again, especially with how nonchalant she seemed.

"I'm sure they heard you in the Command Post." A wry smile stretched across her face. "I didn't realize you were thinking about us getting…" Her eyes dropped to the floor

"You haven't?" He looked slightly hurt.

"No, I have," she said quickly, trying to reassure him. "I had far too much time to think while I did my time in the healing chamber. But you never mentioned…"

"I've been thinking about it a long time," he revealed before she could get to doubting herself.

Her next words came out as a whisper. "You want to…" Her voice trailed off as she attempted to process the revelation

"Do you...?" He looked hopeful.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she nodded. Stepping forward, TJ wrapped her arms around him and molded herself against him, his own body mirroring her actions. Seth feathered light kisses at her hairline as he held her. "I want to do this the right way," he told her.

"What way is that?"

Seth pulled away from her and went to his desk to retrieve a Compupad. "Several years ago, I promised your dad that if I were to ever get married, I would do things the right way- the honorable way. I intend to keep my word."

TJ accepted the Compupad that he offered her with a curious look on her face. "You word about what?"

"It's all on there."

"Pardon?"

"There are some things on there I want you to see," he told her, as though it were obvious. "And since you have my password, it should be easy to find." He added the last part, a wide smirk stretched across his features.

She ignored the bit about knowing his password. _I'll never live that down._ "What sorts of things?" she asked, her voice cautious.

"I've been thinking about this a long time," he repeated. Changing the subject slightly, he added, "I have a few things I need to do this afternoon- including figuring out how to grovel to the Admiral and not be thrown in jail-"

"Sorry."

He kissed her lightly, then continued. "You can look at whatever is on there. Find me when you're done."

Walking out of his quarters, he made it ten steps down the hall when he turned around and re-entered his room as he made a realization. "These are my quarters," he declared childishly.

She giggled before kissing him soundly, then leaving him alone to whatever business he needed to attend to.

A lop-sided smirk lingered on his face for a minute as he watched the door she had just left from, counting to twenty silently before turning to his vidscreen. Before he could revisit the Admiral, he needed to make another call first. Keying in some information, he waited a moment before the image of his sister Callie filled the screen.

"Seth?!" she nearly shrieked. "Holy sh-"

"Good to see you too Cal."

"Are you okay? Where are you? Oh my God, Mom and Dad are gonna kill you!" His sister was rambling quickly.

"We're fine. Just got back in communications range a little while ago. I need your help with something. Pending Mom and Dad don't kill me first." He grinned at the last part.

His sister gaped at him for a moment, before ranting. "I'm sorry. You disappear for three and a half years to god knows where, make us think you're dead, then reappear on my screen like nothing ever happened and ask for a favor right away? I'll skin you alive myself! And don't think I won't because you know-"

"I need an engagement ring."

Callie silenced immediately. A wide range of emotions played across her face- shock, surprise, anger, happiness, puzzlement. "I'm sorry?"

"I'll explain everything. But I need your help picking a ring. I'm crap at these things, and you know people better than anyone else I know. Please. Don't make me beg," he told her.

She scrubbed her hands down her face, her blue eyes, which matched his, wide and curious. "I need vodka. And then, a really, really good explanation."


End file.
